The Traveler
by Villicus
Summary: Where do you go when you dream? After an encounter with a strange dream entity, Gumball awakes to find a world he does not recognize, and a suit that allows him to visit new realities with every dream. When back on terrestrial ground in the waking hours, he sets out in search of a way back home, with a little help from friends, family, and powerful otherworldly forces.
1. Thulcandra

**The Traveler**

 _Where do you go when you dream?_

 _The Dreamcatcher visits strange worlds under different suns, a witness to what the rest of us can not imagine. After an encounter with the dream entity, Gumball awakes to find a world he does not recognize, and a strange suit that, when combined with special pendants, allows him to visit new realities with every dream._

 _When back on terrestrial ground in the waking hours, he sets out in search of a way out of this alternate universe, seeking answers to overcome the insurmountable obstacles between him and his home, where his family and friends team up with Rob in their search for Gumball. Witness the grand narrative forged by otherworldly creatures as they guide the Traveler across landscapes and realities where we cannot follow, collecting memories and unique experiences from across the barriers of space, time, and consciousness._

 _Read on, the first chapter of many more to come. Lie back, relax, and journey…_

 _Original concept by Klayton and Josh Danforth_  
 _Based off the album "End of an Empire" by Celldweller_

* * *

 **Prologue**

 **Thulcandra**

 _a compound noun, formed with the prefix Thulc, meaning "silent",_

 _and handra, meaning earth, land, or planet, referring to the third planet from the sun in English_

 _"Silent Planet" or Earth_

* * *

He woke up in a cold sweat. He sat up in his bed, panting hard, and gripped at his chest, as if to stop his heart from exploding. It pounded like a powerful drumbeat in his ears.

"Bad dreams again?"

Gumball turned to the voice in the darkness.

Drawing a shaky breath, he replied, "Yeah. I'm sorry, buddy."

"It's not your fault, dude." Darwin said.

It was the third night in a row since these dreams started to plague Gumball. They were unequaled by any that he had ever experienced before. Each nightmare brought terrifying perils and disturbing mysteries that always succeeded in disrupting his sleep, resulting in abrupt awakening. Consequently, Darwin had had little sleep as well.

"I think we should follow Mrs. Mom's advice and get help." Darwin said.

"From who?"

"We can figure that out later. Try to get some sleep, okay?"

"Okay. Good night. Sorry for waking you up. Again."

Gumball turned in his bed, shutting his eyes and hoping to get some rest before school. He took a deep, controlled breath, and started to drift back into sleep. He hoped to wake up feeling refreshed and well-rested, ready to tackle the day ahead.

Refreshed but not relieved.

He hadn't felt relief since the dreams began.

He wondered if he would finally have a good night's sleep tomorrow.

He doubted it.

* * *

 _Who has never killed an hour?_

 _It is a loss that we experience daily in the privacy of our lives,_

 _and that loss is too empty to share._

* * *

The ringing of a schoolbell assaulted dozens of ears at Elmore Junior High, eliciting sighs of relief. Students flooded out of their rooms, eager for lunch, as their teachers yelled out last-minute assignments and reminders.

In the cafeteria, a ghost wandered aimlessly, tenaciously watching everyone else eat. She suddenly came across a sleep-deprived Gumball, fast asleep and snoring loudly, his face buried in his tray of food. Seated at the table with him was his siblings and Penny. Darwin looked extremely tired, but he soon perked up and smiled as Carrie approached.

"Hi, Carrie." Fatigue was apparent in his voice.

"Hey Carrie," Penny said.

"Hey guys," Carrie replied.

She gave Darwin a confused look. "What happened to you? You look undead."

Penny shrugged. "I know, right?"

"Nightmares," Darwin replied. "Gumball's been having them every night since three days ago, and it's getting worse. We don't know what to do."

"Her, too?" Carrie asked, pointing at Anais' unconscious form, slumped over the table.

Darwin sighed. "No, she just tried interpreting Gumball's dreams again."

"I have to admit, it was kinda funny," Penny said.

Gumball suddenly jolted awake, inhaling sharply. He shook off the pasta on his face and blinked twice, eyes adapting to the brightly lit cafeteria.

Penny laughed. "Good morning, sleepyhead."

Gumball gave her a sheepish grin. "Hey Penny! Sorry, I haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately."

"That makes two of us," Darwin muttered.

"Hey, it's not my fault, dude. These nightmares aren't like any dream I've had before. Anyway, how long was I out?"

Darwin shrugged. "I don't know."

Anais pulled her face off the table, groaning. She grabbed her head and started massaging her temples.

"What happened?" she asked.

Darwin replied, "You passed out trying to make sense of Gumball's dream. Again."

Anais buried her face in her arms. "Remind me never to do that again."

"What kind of dream was it?" Penny asked.

"Yeah," Carrie said. "If it's been causing you that much trouble, it might be something supernatural."

Gumball opened his mouth to speak, but the bell rang before he could utter a word.

"Time for class," Darwin said. "We can't be late again, Gumball. Miss Simian will blow a gasket."

Gumball shrugged. "So? She does that all the time. Why should we care? Apart from the fact that our eardrums might rupture."

"Don't you remember? If we come in late one more time she'll expel us both."

"That doesn't sound too bad."

"But Mrs. Mom will kill us."

"Oh, right. Good point."

A loud voice in the distance pierced the air, sending chills down the spine of each student.

"No running in the halls!"

The shrill cry of Miss Simian.

The two boys sprinted out of the cafeteria at breakneck speed, somehow producing a large dust cloud despite Rocky's cleaning efforts. They sped through the halls, leaving blinded, coughing students in their wake.

The boys burst through the doors of their classroom and got in their seats before their classmates could tell what was happening. Not one second had passed before the door was slammed open again, revealing Miss Simian. She had her usual mug of steaming coffee in one hand, and a stack of paper in the other. She seemed to enjoy the air of dread and foreboding that now permeated the classroom.

As she launched into a brutal lecture that was too technical and vague for the typical 7th-grader. Gumball immediately lost contact with reality and slammed his face on his desk, succumbing to sleep once more.

* * *

 _Where do you go when you dream?_

* * *

Gumball heard a tiny voice. It seemed to be singing.

 _"It's the end..."_

He opened his eyes, but it made no difference. Darkness confined him.

 _"It's the end..."_

He could feel a cold presence. It made his heart pound and his skin crawl. If he could move, he would have curled up into a ball.

 _"It's the end..."_

He wanted so badly to get away from whatever it was that held him, but at the same time he felt no hope, and was content to resign himself to this dark world. Apathy and indifference surrounded him like a web, making the smallest of actions an impossible effort.

He closed his eyes again, expecting his demise.

 _"It's the end..."_

Suddenly, a light shone in front of him.

He opened his eyes and his vision readjusted, and he saw a blue emblem in front of him, glowing brightly.

A shimmer of hope trickled through his system.

 _"It's the end of an empire..."_

He focused on it and willed himself to move, to reach out, to hold on to something amidst the emptiness.

 _"It's the end of an empire..."_

He touched the emblem, a strange-looking watch, and immediately felt free from the invisible shackles that bound him. He felt soothing warmth, comfort, and relief.

 _"It's the end of an empire..."_

As the voice sang one last time, he felt the dark world peel away from him like a suffocating cocoon.

Immediately his environment changed and his mind was cleared.

He blinked hard, and he saw...

A gray expanse, as far as the eye could see, with splotches of black and dark blue, like stains on worn concrete.

Gumball surveyed his surroundings, searching for anything else within the strange new world around him. As he turned around, he found a planet of sorts, made of the same material as the expanse that contained it. The planet's surface, however, was coated in the blue-black substance, which seemed to pulse and writhe, as if alive.

In spite of this strange sight, Gumball had focused his attention elsewhere, on something else that seemed to demand fear and reverence. It made his blood go cold.

Some _one._

"What are you?" he asked.

In front of the planet stood a strange creature that seemed to be made of rock or metal. The pair of black, bottomless holes on its face seemed to suck Gumball into a dark abyss; a piercing gaze, probing and digging into his very soul and subjecting him to intense scrutiny.

Then a thought that was not his own boomed in his mind.

 _ **Time is running out, Traveler.**_

Gumball blinked. The creature in front of him did not seem to have a mouth, yet he knew for certain that it had spoken.

 _ **You cannot stay here any longer.**_

Gumball replied, "What are you talking about? What's going on?"

Static began to fill Gumball's vision, and pockets of darkness began to appear once more, tearing at the environment. Fear flooded back in full force as the creature began to fade from view.

 _ **Death awaits. But do not fear. Even Death will end.**_

"W-wait!" Gumball stammered. "Don't go! Don't leave me here!"

 _ **In time.**_

As the final thoughts of the creature echoed within Gumball's mind, he felt the dark thing from before return. Its wrath, intense and crippling, focused on him like a beam of sunlight, freezing him in place. Though he knew it was futile, Gumball still tried to resist. Clawing, scratching, and tearing through, with every iota of willpower he could muster.

It was a mere drop in the ocean of rage that swallowed him.

For one bleak moment, all was still. No motion, no glimmer of hope, not the faintest trace of life. There was no breeze, no sound, no sensation. Yet somehow Gumball could still feel it all, like a terrible hollowness reaching up for him.

And then, sound came forth once again.

The sound of screaming.

The sound of his own screams.

The sound of Darwin's voice, yelling Gumball's name along with two words.

"WAKE UP!"

* * *

 _Reality and dreams can be analogous to the brain and the mind_

 _The brain is restricted to spacetime and matter_

 _The mind has no such limitations_

* * *

The sound of a school bus arriving and opening its doors prompted Nicole to stand from the kitchen table, where she had been piecing together a puzzle with Richard. In truth, Richard had absolutely no idea what they were doing, but he was content to play along, since opportunities of sitting next to the fridge were few and far between.

Nicole walked to the door, wanting to greet her kids with a warm smile as the door opened.

"Mom!" Anais said as she jumped into her mother's arms.

"Good evening, Mrs. Mom!" Darwin exclaimed.

"Welcome home, kids." Nicole replied. Her smile faded when she realized a certain someone wasn't present.

"Where's Gumball?" she asked.

Darwin's grin deflated. "He went for a walk in the park. He had a nightmare in class and… it didn't end well. He said he'll be home before dinner."

 _Well that should teach him not to sleep in class_ , Nicole thought as she shut the door behind Darwin. This was a first for Gumball, however. No matter how much trouble he got himself into, he had never been as dejected as to go for a walk in the park alone.

"Alright. What happened this time?" she said.

Darwin would much rather have Gumball do the explaining, but as he thought about it, he realized that if he couldn't make sense of what happened in the classroom that afternoon, it probably wouldn't do any harm if Nicole knew.

He took a deep breath.

"He started talking in this creepy voice," he said. "Like he was hypnotized or just really, really bored. He was going on about time and all sorts of deep philosophical stuff. Then he started screaming. I had to shake him awake."

Nicole covered her face with her hand and sighed.

"I swear, the chances of robot overlords taking over Elmore are bigger than that boy having a normal day."

"Uh… mom?" Anais asked. "You might want to see this."

She pointed to the TV.

"Robot overlords are taking over Elmore!" yelled a news reporter.

Nicole clicked her tongue. "Of course."

Several robots were seen flying overhead the reporter, who was breaking down in hysteria.

"This is a dark day for Elmore, and possibly the world! Will mankind finally pay for his absolute narcissism? Is this our abrupt wake-up call from our self-induced sedation and ignorant bliss? Is this our inevitable confrontation with the machines of our disgrace? Do we even have a chance of winning? Will we be exterminated? Or worse, will we be subject to menial labor?"

They watched the reporter ramble on in fear, and he would have gone on for hours about being unemployed and replaced by the robots, if not for someone grabbing his microphone.

Darwin's eyes opened wide when he saw the stranger.

"Rob?"

"You know him?" asked Anais.

"Yeah," Darwin replied. " He said he'd become me and Gumball's nemesis."

" _My_ and Gumball's nemesis," corrected Anais.

"Nemesis?" Nicole said. "Like a bully or something?"

"No. It's… complicated." answered Darwin.

"You're not letting him walk all over you two, are you?"

"Actually, we pretty much have to try really hard to even remember his name."

Rob cleared his throat and continued.

"As I was saying, we are Outland Industries. The best in science and technology, unlike anything the world has ever seen. We have operated in secrecy for years, but now the time has come for us to share our secrets with the world!

"No man can tell what tomorrow may bring. Men's souls wrestle with the mere thought of tomorrow. No longer!"

The reporter asked, "But what about the Bobert Store? Don't they say the same things?"

Rob laughed. "Look around. Nothing's changed, but the stakes are higher than ever before. The Bobert Store cares only about profit and is blind to one crucial fact, that technological advance without virtue is worse than no advance at all. The nuclear button is in the hands of madmen. Outland will not just advance our technology, but also our morality."

"But how will you do that? You can't make good people by law."

"Of course not. Which is why we resort to other methods. Like so."

Rob outstretched his right hand, palm facing the sky.

The reporter and cameraman yelped as they slowly floated into the sky.

"Hey! What's going on? Put us down!"

The camera was yanked away from its operator, and slowly revolved around Rob, showing various levitating objects. He made a fist, making everything except the camera drop. He made it briefly pan the horizon, showing the robots flying off into the distance and the news crew scrambling to their feet and running away. He then returned the camera's focus to himself.

He spoke in a quiet, menacing voice. "Evil and ignorance permeates this society like a plague. I'm gonna help all of you cleanse this disease from the planet."

A loud crumpling noise accompanied static on the screen as Rob crushed the camera. He flashed a sinister grin before the screen went dark.

The Wattersons stared at their TV in silence until Darwin broke it.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting serious 'Area 51' vibes from that."

"Those robots flew towards the park," Anais said. "I sure hope Gumball doesn't run into trouble."

* * *

 _The ground has given way to instability_

 _So long solid foundation and hello dear anarchy_

* * *

 _Stupid nightmares_ , Gumball thought as he skipped a stone across the park lake. It bounced thrice before making a large splash in the bright orange water, reflecting the light from the setting sun.

Gumball sighed as he watched the ripples fade, and stared into his reflection as the water's surface smoothed out.

"What is wrong with you?" he said to his mirror image.

 _Don't be lonely._

Gumball snapped to attention, eyes scanning the dense forest behind him. He thought he heard someone speak. He could see nothing out of the ordinary, but realized that the park had become deathly quiet. No wind, no birds, no rustling in the leaves. It's as if time itself had frozen, leaving him in an isolated patch of reality.

"Okaaaaaay. This is creepy..." he said to himself. "I'm... gonna go home now."

He made his way back the way he came, but the deafening silence unnerved him. He had a small urge to freak out and hightail it, but he maintained his composure.

He focused on the sound of his own footsteps in the grass, trying in vain to take his mind off the strange stillness that had come over the park. His imagination had run wild, however, and was now feeding him with unknown fears.

It felt like something malicious was watching him intently with the cruel patience of a hungry spider. It was for this reason he maintained his slow, steady pace, fearing that whatever was out there was simply waiting for an opportunity to strike.

He shook his head, trying to rationalize the situation. He was probably just imagining things. It was just his mind conjuring up creepy stuff. There's nothing strange about a calm, quiet park.

 _So why am I so tense?_ he thought to himself. As he crept along, he saw something that answered his question.

At the base of a tree were some dark red spots in the grass. It was hard to tell what they were from a distance, but Gumball decided to walk in another direction, not at all interested in figuring it out.

It really felt like something was out there, as full of wrath as he was full of fear. The urge to run was stronger now. This time, he did not resist it.

He sprinted through the woods, nearing the park's exit. His ears picked up on a strange sound, however. It was the only other noise apart from his footsteps and breathing. It only made him run faster. Despite this, he heard it come closer. It was like a high-pitched squeak, as if something was dashing through the air.

 _All mine._

He definitely heard that, and he was sure he didn't imagine it. He kept running even though his legs were starting to cramp. Whatever was out there wandered close by, the noise making adrenaline course through Gumball's veins.

He could see the exit now, and he ran even faster towards it, his legs begging for rest.

Then something hit Gumball like a brick wall. He saw what looked like a shadow, engulfing him and smashing into him with the force of a truck. He was thrown into the grass, where he lost consciousness.

Half an hour later, the air nearby shimmered, and a beam of light washed over Gumball's motionless form.

A voice spoke. "What did you find?"

A robotic voice replied, "Gumball Watterson. Unconscious. Uninjured."

"Lazy kid fell asleep at the park... Any sign of the Phantom's wraith?"

"Detected blood of local wildlife."

"It can't be far, then. Don't let it get any further. Keep searching."

"You do not have authority to issue commands to Scandroids, neophyte."

"Whatever. Just find that thing."

The invisible robot silently left the scene just as Gumball regained consciousness. He slowly stood and patted himself off, wondering what had happened. He could come up with no answer, and decided to just walk home. He was hungry, after all.

True to his word, Gumball made it home before dinner. He entered the living room and saw Richard asleep on the couch, a slice of pizza on his face. Nicole and Darwin were setting the table for dinner, while Anais was seated at a table, thoroughly invested in a thick book.

Gumball said, "Geez sis, you're like one of those antisocial shut-ins who never see sunlight, except with books instead of the internet. How many hours a day do you waste on studying?"

"More hours than you've spent killing brain cells," Anais replied with a smirk.

"Oh ha ha, very funny."

"Welcome home, Gumball," greeted Nicole. "I heard you had an... incident in class today. Want to explain why you were sleeping over dinner?"

Gumball's shoulders slumped under the weight of extreme fatigue as memories of his bad day flooded back.

He replied, "Actually, I've lost my appetite. I'm going to bed."

"Are you sure? Not even a little bit?" asked Nicole as Gumball dragged his feet upstairs.

She received no answer. She looked to Darwin, who only shrugged. The silence persisted until they heard the bedroom door close.

The first remark came from Anais. "He looks awful."

"Well, he's had a long, rough day," Nicole replied. "Bring up some dinner for him, will you, Darwin?"

"Sure, Mrs. Mom."

Gumball didn't bother turning on the light in the room. The moonlight was enough to keep him from stumbling around in the dark. He took a deep breath, which turned into a yawn. The chaos of the day had taken its toll, leaving him an exhausted mess. His bed seemed to beckon to him, an invitation to rest that he could not deny.

He dropped into bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

But soon, he awakened to an empty void of pitch darkness. He felt like he'd been through this already.

He couldn't move, but he could feel his body. Frozen in time or paralyzed by an external force, he could not tell.

He could not turn his head.

He could not move his eyes.

He could not even blink.

He could _not._

"You grant them sight, so why can they not see beyond the boundaries of their own mortality?"

A voice. One that Gumball didn't recognize.

A figure materialized in the darkness, accompanied by immeasurable, swirling, multicolored particles of light; like galaxies in the black void of deep space. An unintelligible, static-like noise assaulted Gumball's ears.

The figure stood in the middle of the kaleidoscopic environment. It donned dark-colored clothes under a black leather jacket, in stark contrast to the vibrant backgrounds of light. It wore a helmet similar in appearance to a plague doctor's mask, except with wires, cables, and glowing electronic parts.

There was a symbol on the entity's back: a white circle with some kind of bird in the middle. It had glistening metallic arms. A miniature version of planet Earth, radiating a bright green aura, floated above the entity's open palm. It continued speaking to an unseen listener.

"I hold an individual world for each of them in my hand. It will give them hope. It will give them purpose. _Life._ Without it, these frail creatures will wither, and _die._ "

The being's beak lit up yellow when it spoke. It seemed to be talking to someone else.

 **"They are not prepared for the empire that is coming."**

Another voice made itself known. A deep male voice, radiating authority.

 **"Go to them. They will need you."**

The strange being approached Gumball. An overwhelming, indistinguishable feeling bombarded his brain: a mixture of intense fear, anxiety, and despair. No matter how hard he tried, Gumball remained unable to exert any form of control over himself.

The planet in the entity's palm began glowing brighter, until the light started to blind Gumball. His vision turned white, and all sensation ceased as the strange being spoke once more.

"Give yourself to me. I am life."


	2. The Landing

**The Traveler  
** **by Villicus**

 **Chapter 01: TIME  
** Cover art: **Overseer** by Ninja Jo

Faction 01 | The Landing

* * *

 _Through space and time_

 _We can't escape this paradigm_

* * *

His body felt foreign. His vision completely black.

Suddenly, his eyesight returned. Like a computer screen lighting up, he received visual stimuli once more.

The world that he awakened to startled him.

He did not know this place.

This was not his home.

He was a stranger here.

But where was here?

Was this a dream?

He slowly sat up from among the scraps of metal and garbage in a dark alleyway. The thick smell of smoke was in the air.

 _Ugh... Where am I?_ Gumball thought.

Meters, numbers and other elements suddenly appeared in his field of vision. He put up hands to his face, and felt a smooth, metallic surface: a helmet.

"What?"

In addition to the helmet, a metallic suit covered his entire body.

Something rumbled in the distance, shaking the ground. Bricks crumbled from the walls surrounding Gumball. His gaze went skyward.

Above the dark alleyway he was in, a large celestial body dominated the night sky. Thanks to a characteristic spot, Gumball recognized it to be the gas giant Jupiter.

 _Where am I?_ he thought.

Text appeared on his helmet, as if responding to his thoughts.

 **Current Location: Callisto**

Though "Callisto" was familiar, it offered him no help. He didn't know where he was or how he got here. But he did know that he was going to do everything possible to get answers and, hopefully, get back home.

He slowly stood, brushing off unnameable refuse from what he assumed to be a space suit.

A quick, bright flash burned a void in the sky, followed by another ground tremor.

"What is that?" Gumball asked himself.

His question was answered when a nearby building was blown apart by a sudden explosion.

"What the what?"

Sounds of gunfire reached his ears, and before he could react, lights appeared at the end of the alley.

He was cornered.

"Uh oh."

Another explosion rocked the ground, shaking Gumball. The lights grew brighter.

He scanned the wall, looking for a way to flee. He jumped up on a dumpster and started to climb as the sounds in the distance coalesced into distinct voices.

He made it to the top of a nearby structure, and ducked down just as men flooded into the alleyway. The rooftop aroused no suspicion.

The footsteps slowed, and someone in the alley below spoke.

"Keep quiet, you idiots. Wait until they pass."

Heavy, mechanical footfalls reached Gumball's ears. He carefully peered over the ledge. Through the smoke and fire, two shadows took shape. Gumball gasped as a pair of machines exited the smoke.

Two large, menacing robots stepped forward, illuminated by the raging infernos behind them. They had white glowing eyes and bright red stripes of light on their heavily-armored chassis. Their arms held powerful energy weapons, glowing red from heat.

They stopped at the end of the alley. One raised an arm.

As soon as Gumball noticed its weapon glowing brighter, he ran to the opposite end of the building and jumped. The robot fired, incinerating a portion of the alley. The gunfire resumed.

Gumball landed on another rooftop. He looked over his shoulder, watching lights flash from the alley. It soon turned dark and quiet. He gulped.

"Oh man. What's going on here? Is this one of those sci-fi dreams where robots take over the world?"

A sound made Gumball snap his head to the left. He spotted a strange craft in the sky, trailing smoke and losing altitude. It crashed into a tall skyscraper, cleaving it in two and engulfing the point of impact in flames.

Gumball's jaw dropped. "Whoa… cool!"

He stared in awe as the upper half of the skyscraper tilted and groaned. His smile quickly faded when he realized it was going to land right on top of him.

"Oh crud."

He jumped off the ledge as the upper half of the skyscraper broke free and succumbed to gravity. He fell through the air, his screaming drowned out by the ferocious screech of metal.

He hit the ground hard, and rolled to a stop. He lay groaning, but quickly forgot the pain when he opened his eyes and saw the skyscraper looming over him. He got to his feet and sprinted for his life. He dove as the building crashed down in flames.

A dust cloud enveloped the site as pieces of debris pelted the ground. When the smoke cleared, a lone figure stood and dusted himself off.

He laughed. "That's right! Gumball Watterson is a survivor!"

"Stand in place."

Gumball froze. The voice came from behind him.

"Await identification."

Gumball turned, and looked up at a massive robot.

He muttered, "Oh crud."

"'Do not resist," the bot said.

Gumball stared up at the android in silence, paralyzed by fear. He then ran through the robot's legs, screaming and flailing his arms.

The robot turned and fired, blasting the ground in front of Gumball. Gravel sprayed in his visor as he fell into the crater. As he got to his knees, a shadow engulfed him. He tried to escape, but a metal claw gripped his neck.

"Let go of me, you oversized toaster!" he yelled. "I've dealt with Bobert, and I can deal with you, too!"

"Do not resist," the robot said again.

Gumball struggled, but could do nothing to weaken the bot's hold. Its eyes flashed white, blinding Gumball.

 _Is this the end?_ he thought. He braced himself.

"Identification unknown," the droid said.

"What?"

"Assessment: Not hostile. Designate classification: civilian."

It released its grip on Gumball.

"Outland Industries evacuation protocol in effect," it continued. "Civilians must proceed to Solaris for extraction."

"Evacuate? What's going on?" Gumball asks.

The robot pointed into the distance.

"Proceed to Solaris."

Gumball gazed at the direction the android was pointing. Far off in the distance, he could make out some kind of spaceship. The black, capital letters **OUTLAND** and **SOLARIS** , small but clearly visible, were printed on the hull.

Gumball turned, but the large machine had already wandered off, weapons raised.

He took a deep breath.

"Okay. This is probably just another weird dream. I'm gonna wake up and annoy Darwin again. I'll apologize and we'll go back to sleep!"

He closed his eyes. "I'll probably wake up in three… two... any second now..."

Another ground tremor from an explosion disturbed him.

"Maybe… I just have to…"

He punched himself in the face. The action accomplished little, his fist bouncing off his helmet and injuring the head within.

"Ow! Ugh..."

He pondered in silence for a moment.

"Man, I must be sleeping like a baby right now."

His eye caught the ship in the background again. He continued to stare at it, deep in thought.

 _Solaris, huh? Well, if I can't wake up, I might as well enjoy this dream._

A shriek in the air threw Gumball into a panic. The ground nearby was decimated by yet another explosion, throwing him off his feet and showering him with debris.

"Ugh. Okay. Get out of the way of the exploding things and evacuate. Right."

He got to his feet once more, and headed towards the ship.

Apart from several of the large robots milling around, it seemed that there was no other life within the desolate area that Gumball now walked. Large structures that once stood tall now lay decimated, reduced to dust, rubble and scrap metal.

As he walked past a collapsed structure, he felt a sudden shock of electricity.

"Ahh!" Gumball screamed. "What the?"

He looked down at his arms and saw tiny arcs of energy surrounding them, crackling loudly. The charges built up and linked with the ground in the form of a bolt of electricity, throwing Gumball off his feet. He landed flat on his back with a painful thud.

He barely had time to groan before a metallic arm punched out of the ground and grabbed his arm.

"AHHHH!"

A rusted robotic head rose from the ground and stared at Gumball, prompting him to scream even louder.

The robot remained motionless, and Gumball's surprise slowly turned into quiet awkwardness.

"Uh... hello?" he asked. "Can you... let go of me?"

He felt the grip of the robot release him, but it continued to stare.

"Jeez, you are creepy," Gumball said. "Are you okay?

No response.

"I'll take that as a no."

He cautiously moved away and stood, studying the robot. The lights in its eyes seemed to blink intermittently, and told him it did not have much time.

Before he could do anything, the robot finally spoke.

"You… must... " it started, the rest of its dialogue reduced to garbled static.

Gumball crouched down. "Must what? Wait, this isn't some kind of last request thing that I have to do against impossible odds, is it?"

The droid struggled to maintain intelligible speech. "You must find New Elysium."

"New what?"

"You do not belong here."

"Well, I knew _that._ "

"You are not of this world."

"Again, thanks, Captain Obvious."

"This is not a dream."

This struck Gumball. "...What?"

"Find New Elysium, Traveler," the robot continued. "She can bring you home…"

Gumball furrowed his brow. "Wait, wait, wait. What are you talking about? Who is 'she'? What's going on?"

The light in the android's eyes faded as it spoke. It stopped moving.

Gumball stared, then bowed his head.

"Rest in peace, Mr. Robot," he muttered. "I just wish I knew what you were talking about."

He turned towards Solaris, and continued on his journey.

* * *

 _A new kingdom come_

 _A new will be done_

 _Enter into this_

 _New Elysium_

* * *

"You're not the police!"

Anais stared up at Rob, who had two robots hovering behind him. Even at night, their white armor seemed to gleam.

"Anais, right?" Rob said. "I thought you were smart. Police only consider people missing when they're gone for 24 hours."

He forced his way past Anais into the house, followed by the two bots.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" yelled Anais, trying to intimidate him.

After Darwin discovered Gumball's bed empty, Nicole and Richard had quickly gone out, asking friends and searching houses for their son. In their absence, Darwin had called Carrie for assistance, but Anais didn't think even the three of them could keep Rob from snooping, much less Rob and two androids.

"Relax, I'm here to help find your brother," Rob replied.

This lessened Anais' apprehension, but only slightly. It gave her more questions than answers.

"How did you even know he was gone?" she asked.

Rob didn't answer, and walked upstairs with his mechanical escorts.

He found Carrie and Darwin searching Gumball's room. Darwin froze and slowly stood. He raised an eyebrow.

"Rob? What are you doing here?"

"Move aside," Rob answered.

It didn't look like Darwin would comply, but once the two robots approached, he reluctantly withdrew to the corner. Carrie joined him.

She quietly asked, "This was the guy on the news, right? You know him?"

"Uhh... kind of," Darwin answered.

Anais appeared at the door as the two robots started scanning various objects in the room while Rob crouched at the bed.

"Sorry guys," Anais said. "I couldn't stop him."

"I'd be surprised if you did," Carrie replied.

"He said he was gonna help us find Gumball."

"I kinda got that," said Darwin. "I hope we find him soon, wherever he is."

Carrie flipped her hair. "I doubt he could find anything that I couldn't. No portals, no ectoplasm, no footsteps, nothing. Just that... random framed photo of Penny under the pillow."

"Yeah, he likes to talk to it."

The robots had stopped their scanning, and had approached Rob. The trio of friends watched intently, waiting for answers.

They heard one say, "Void energy traces detected."

And then they received a blinding flash of light.

"Ahh!"

When they recovered, the robots had disappeared. Rob was crouched at the bed once again.

"Wh... what?" Carrie asked. "Where did they go? I didn't see any-"

"It's the same way Gumball disappeared," Rob replied.

He stood, and turned to face the shocked trio. "He's somewhere in another world."

There was silence for a few seconds as Rob's revelation sunk in. Then he was bombarded with questions.

"What? How do you know that?"

"Different world? Where?"

"Is that even possible?"

"Why should we trust you?"

"Can you get him back?"

The last question was posed by Darwin, who seemed close to tears.

Rob remained quiet.

"Well? Can you bring him back?" Darwin repeated.

Rob slowly shook his head. "He's going to have to find his own way home. It's some kind of otherworldly tech that took him. Something Outland has just discovered recently, and right now we can only use it to travel this world."

Darwin looked down at the ground, while Anais and Carrie comforted him. Rob took this as his cue to leave, and stepped out of the room. Before he reached the stairs, however, Anais asked another question.

"So what are we gonna do?"

Rob stopped.

"Was he having weird dreams?" he asked.

Darwin sniffed. "Yeah. Every night, and sometimes during the day. One time he woke up screaming."

Rob was silent for moment before responding. "Keep your eyes open for anything weird. You might get the same kinds of dreams."

He continued walking, but turned back to say one last thing.

"If you find anything, report it to me and _no one else_. I was never here, understood?"

He made his way downstairs, not bothering to wait for an answer.

"If you don't trust me and do what I say, then your brother might as well have never existed."

At this statement, Rob vanished in a bright flash, just one second before Nicole and Richard returned home. Anais rushed downstairs.

"Well?" she asked. "Did you find him?"

Their dejected and forlorn appearance was a tacit "no." Anais simply sought her parents' embrace, while Carrie offered the same to Darwin.

"Come home soon, Gumball," muttered Darwin.

"We're waiting for you."

* * *

On the desolate surface of an unknown planet, a landing pad suddenly came to life with activity. A ship slowly approached, and finally docked with a loud crash.

Inside the ship, passengers stood and prepared to disembark. A robotic voice flooded out of the ship's speakers, announcing instructions.

"The Outland Industries Solaris has safely docked. Please prepare to deploy. Be advised the planetary environment may be hostile, so be sure to double-check enviro-suit seals and O2 levels."

Gumball heard the loud hissing of a heavy blast door opening outside.

"Please follow safety instructions and keep our planet security team in sight at all times, as they will guide you to the Deltar city limits."

Passengers started to crowd near the door, but Gumball refused to let anyone else be the first to step off of Solaris.

"Thank you for flying Outland Industries. Enjoy your stay..."

The ship's doors finally burst open, exposing the new environment and atmosphere to the passengers.

"...and welcome to Atiria."

* * *

 **TRAVELER**

Data: The Traveler seeks an escape from the increasing tension between humans and androids while navigating the galaxy in search of a way home.  
Last Known Location: Atiria  
ID: Android

* * *

 **Chapter 01: TIME**

Faction 02 | Overseer

 **4/4/2017**


	3. Overseer

**The Traveler  
** **by Villicus**

 **Chapter 01: TIME**

Faction 02 | Overseer

* * *

"Welcome to the Deltar city limits," announced a female voice.

A desolate wasteland, pockmarked by craters and debris, spanned the entirety of Gumball's field of vision, up until the horizon. He turned around and looked up at a massive mega city with skyscrapers as tall as he could see.

Large, sleek buildings forged from steel and glass held docking bays and hangars that were bustling with activity. They lit up the night sky, along with the blinking lights of thousands of hovering vehicles surrounding them.

 _Whoa... Deltar, huh?_ he thought.

Floating billboards and speeding aircraft burst through the air, stealing Gumball's attention and directing his gaze to enormous, floating synthetic structures, each holding up a city block. He faintly remembered reading of such things in comic books and sci-fi stories.

His eyes fell on an object that sent chills down his spine and paralyzed him in fear. Returning his stare were multiple bright robotic optical devices, mounted on a heavily-armored, silver chassis that stood tall and motionless. From its torso protruded two thick appendages that held large energy cannons.

A giant robot. Exactly the same as the ones he'd seen back on Callisto.

It was standing near the city border, flanked by soldiers. Outland Industries' planet security, no doubt.

Gumball reviewed his surroundings and noticed several of the tall droids stationed around. An effective, visible deterrent to crime and terrorism.

The massive robot continued to stare at Gumball, observing him with unblinking eyes. Gumball gulped, and quickly searched for something else to look at. As he turned away, his eyes caught something. He looked up at the sky and gasped.

A charred, smoldering, blackened monstrosity of a planet far beyond. A twisted amalgam of devastated rock, terraformed landscapes, and bare metal.

 _What is that?_ Gumball thought to himself.

Something told him that he'd be better off not knowing.

He instead continued to explore the city. Apart from the skyscrapers that rose elegantly into the sky, the rest of the city was left at the mercy of time and decay. The greasy, unkempt walls have seen a lot of abuse, and was covered with strange graffiti, wanted posters, and various other markings.

A large poster on a massive support beam showed an illustration of a human-robot hybrid. The text below it said "NO CYBORGS," but someone had crossed out "CYBORGS" and written "PLUGINS" under it with black spray paint.

"Well, I say good riddance. I don't really care where they go as long as they aren't _here_."

Gumball looked over his shoulder. Two men behind him were having a conversation that he did not intend to eavesdrop on. He was somehow able to listen in on their chat anyway.

He kept still, trying his best to remain inconspicuous.

"Now that I think about it, I've never even heard where it is."

"Does it matter?"

"Hah. I guess not. With any luck, they'll run out of juice and get stuck there."

"Let 'em all power down in their 'New Elysium'!"

The men laughed as they continued on their way.

The last words of the broken down robot in Callisto echoed in Gumball's mind.

 _You must find New Elysium... She can take you home._

He felt a reinforced sense of alienation. If this was not a dream, then how did he get here?

Vague memories were all he could remember, as if he never existed until he woke up. He walked it off, knowing that to ruminate too long would invite intrusive thoughts that would only hamper his progress. He might as well find this New Elysium. Hopefully, he could get answers there. Maybe he could even get home.

As he continued exploring, he spotted a large, glowing glyph embedded in the wall.

It looked like a sophisticated portal, fashioned into the design of a watch, complete with an hour and minute hand. The glowing words "ETERNALLY REVOLVING" were etched around it. A quarter portion of the circle appeared to slide sideways, acting as an entryway.

Without knowing why, Gumball activated the door and entered. There seemed to be no one inside, but the televisions and holographic displays were on. It looked like a typical dimly-lit bar.

Tables and couches lined the sparse and gritty wall. In front of a large glowing counter were high swivel chairs bolted on to the floor. Drinks, bottles, and other strange paraphernalia littered the shelves and cabinets behind the counter.

As Gumball walked further into the bar, he picked up on a strange noise. It sounded like the subtle whining produced by some kind of spacecraft.

The sound grew louder as light suddenly flooded through a window. Something in Gumball's mind told him to hide. He dove behind one of the couches as someone opened the window and entered the establishment.

Heavy footfalls crunched down on the matted rug of the bar, growing louder as the invader approached the doorway. The spacecraft left, allowing Gumball to hear the stranger's heavy, fatigued breathing.

The intruder activated the console near the doorway, which then slammed shut. He then moved over to the display systems, and switched it to a news channel.

Gumball heard a crowd of people shouting. An anchorman was talking over the noise.

"...has been elected to bring his unconventional brand of law enforcement to Atiria. Chaos has intensified as so-called Pro-bots and Robophobes have now taken their differences to the streets. The anti-android robophobe propaganda has escalated to violence in Deltar, resulting in the deaths of over..."

The unknown presence started to flick through channels. Gumball did not dare peek, and instead relied on his ears.

 _Flick._ He heard strange growling. Probably an alien language.

 _Flick._ "This time... make sure they're all dead before you-"

 _Flick._ Music filled the room.

 _Flick._ "-says we can expect to see them entering our atmosphere later this galactic year. In other news, there's been a reported breakout from the infamous XR-87 prison system on Helion. This unprecedented event is said to have been meticulously designed and executed, and an undisclosed number of augmented humans have escaped. These cyborgs, often referred to as 'plugins,' were part of an Atirian faction, originally imprisoned for protesting against cybernetic inequality. The escapees are still at large and considered-"

An alarm suddenly started blaring, ringing in Gumball's ears like the world's loudest siren. He almost forgot to keep quiet when it stopped as the door slid open again. Then the stranger spoke.

"Well that didn't take long."

He exited the bar, his footsteps fading from earshot quickly. Gumball peeked over the couch, checking to make sure he was alone once more. He walked over to the display, which showed a photo of a wanted criminal.

A man in an armored metallic suit, not unlike Gumball's, with red hair fashioned into a mohawk, that went by the alias of "The Emperor." Apparently, the suspected faction leader. Gumball recalled seeing the man on many wanted posters scattered throughout the city.

Gumball jumped as he realized he wasn't really alone. Something had growled at him. He noticed a creature seated at one of the couches. A creature that he had seen before.

Text popped up on Gumball's HUD: **Designation: Overseer**

He gulped. The creature remained unmoving, maintaining its fixed stare, amplifying Gumball's fear.

What bothered him most was that it felt like a different kind of fear that he had never experienced before. It wasn't the usual kind that stemmed from the knowledge that he was going to get hurt. He didn't see the creature as dangerous or evil, and he didn't know why.

Instead, he felt wonder and awe. A shrinking feeling; a sense of total inadequacy to cope with such an entity, yet feeling the desire to submit and give every fiber of his being to its will. It left him totally confused.

The Overseer growled again. More text appeared on Gumball's HUD: **Auto detect mode. Alien language.**

 _Sit._

Gumball was speechless for a moment, but reluctantly moved to the table, taking a seat opposite of the creature.

It looked like a creature made from dark blue rock or steel, as if it had armor plating as its skin. It had dark holes for eyes, and no other facial features. Jagged spires, like rock thrown up by an earthquake, rose from its shoulders and head, tapering off into sharp points.

The creature growled once more. Additional text appeared on Gumball's HUD.

 _You seek New Elysium._

This startled Gumball.

He asked, "You... know what I'm looking for?"

 _I know many things._

 _I know what you are._

 _I know who you are._

The creature produced a necklace, and presented it to Gumball.

 _And perhaps more importantly, I know that you will be needing this._

"What are you talking about? What is that?" Gumball asked.

The creature dropped the pendant into Gumball's hand.

 _Trust me, Traveler._

 _You will know…_

 _In time._

A vague blur is all that Gumball could remember as he tried to recollect himself, having found himself outside of the bar. He could not recall leaving.

Then again, he couldn't recall much of anything anymore.

* * *

Gumball continued to wander around, taking in the sights and sounds of the futuristic yet dystopian city of Deltar.

He passed through electronics shops, fast food establishments, apartment buildings, and dozens of street kiosks. Walking further from the inner city, he saw less people, more abandoned and worn-down structures, and more indistinguishable refuse littering the roads. Security teams were noticeably absent, making him think about doubling back to the cleaner, and relatively safer inner city.

He palmed the pendant that the Overseer had given him, examining it by turning it in his hand.

It was a miniature version of the giant emblem he saw on the wall. A futuristic-looking watch, colored a deep cobalt blue.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" he asked himself.

Suddenly, two people ran past him. A couple, it seemed. They sprinted away, Gumball staring after them, wondering why they were in such a hurry.

His thoughts were quickly interrupted as he found himself surrounded by burly thugs.

One of the men said, "Well, what do we have here?"

Another taunted Gumball, "Your nav systems must be malfunctioning."

A man in a hoodie walked over to Gumball, and got in his face.

"No outlets here, plugin," he said in a low, threatening voice.

Before Gumball could react, a fist connected with his helmet, flooding his vision with static.

* * *

 _Ugh…_

Gumball opened his eyes.

Above him was a dingy, broken ceiling, through which he could see the stars in the night sky. He sat up in a dark, abandoned building, full of rubble and debris.

However, he was not alone.

The long but unmistakable shadow of another person covered the floor, illuminated by flickering light. A fire, perhaps. An anachronism in such times, especially compared to the advanced technology within the city, but still practical.

Gumball, still feeling groggy, slowly stood and stumbled towards the light. Outside, next to a small fire, was a man with messy brown hair. He sat on the ground facing the flames with his back to Gumball.

Who was he?

Had he taken Gumball and dragged him out here, away from the city?

Did he rescue Gumball?

Did he work for the thugs that mauled Gumball and was simply finishing the job?

A myriad of other questions dragged Gumball's mind through a vortex of emotion, consisting mostly of fear and uncertainty. One way or another, he was going to find out. However, he was not going to do it by stealth, for the man had already noticed his presence.

"So, you're awake," he said. "I guess my repairs were enough to keep you operational. For now."

 _Repairs?_ Gumball thought. _He helped me?_

He asked, "Who are you? What did you do to me?"

The sound of a spoon scraping at a bowl echoed through the night. The man ate a spoonful of something before replying.

"I hauled your butt to safety and fixed you."

"What do you mean _fixed_?" Gumball asked.

The man turned his head and Gumball gasped at the sight of the stranger's face.

Apart from the fire, light came from the man himself. Subdermal implants lined his face and skin, illuminating it with cool, blue light, like circuits on a computer motherboard. Though he still looked human, his flesh was an amalgam of organic material and metal.

Gumball exclaimed, "Whoa! Are you another robot!?"

The man's reply shocked Gumball even more than his appearance.

"No, I'm not a robot," the man said. "I'm a plugin. Just like you."

It took a few seconds for this to sink in before Gumball responded.

"Wait… What? What are you talking about?

The man returned his attention to the bowl of gel he was eating.

"What, is this news to you?" he asked. " _You are a plugin_. Flesh, circuit and bone."

Gumball remained silent as he examined himself. He looked at his arms, wondering if blood still flowed within them.

"I'm... a cyborg?" he asked.

The man nonchalantly replied, "Yep."

Gumball continued to stare at himself in silence, then suddenly exclaimed, "Awesome!"

The man chuckled. "Well, that's a first. Usually, people are shocked and confused when they figure out they're half robotic construct."

"Well, yeah," Gumball replied. "I felt that too, but you gotta admit, it's still awesome."

The man smiled. "I guess. If you were completely organic, you probably would have never woken up."

"Oh," Gumball replied, his smile gone. "Uh... yeah, I'd prefer not being dead."

 _Way to be a killjoy,_ he thought.

Hunger attacked Gumball's senses for the first time since his awakening in Callisto, but he wanted some answers first.

He asked, "So, uh... who are you? Why'd you help me?"

"Eat first. Talk later. We might not get a chance, and you need the energy," the man responded.

He looked into the distance. "We're in dangerous territory," he added.

Gumball remembered his assailants, and got slightly paranoid, realizing that they could be attacked at any time. He obeyed and grabbed a bowl of strange, colorless gel.

He looked back at the man.

"Um..."

"You can breathe here," the man said.

Gumball cautiously removed his helmet, half-expecting his head to explode. He took a deep breath, and was surprised to feel viable air drawn into his lungs. It was stuffy, polluted air, however.

He placed his helmet on the ground and sat, returning his attention to his colorless food. It tasted like it looked.

"Bleh," he muttered. "What is this stuff? It doesn't have any taste."

The stranger's jaw clenched, as if he just swallowed a bitter memory. He replied in a stern voice.

"You're welcome to try and steal from the elites in the city. They're the only ones who still waste time eating food for pleasure. Out here, you eat what you can. Taste doesn't matter."

Gumball gulped and continued to eat without complaint.

He instead asked, "Who are you? Why did you fix me?"

The man scraped up the last of his gel and sighed.

"Red."

A confused Gumball asked, "Red? Is... Is that your favorite color or something?"

"My name is Red."

"Ohhhh. Well, I'm Gumball!"

Red smiled. "Gumball? That stuff they used to chew ages ago? Really?"

Gumball scowled. "Oh shut up, _Red_. I didn't choose my name."

As he said this, memories of writing down "Gumball" on a name change document returned. He shrugged off the visual, and in spite of what he had just seen, added, "I accepted it."

Red chuckled. "I believe you. Who'd ever choose Gumball as a name? It's like being called Foot. Or Window. Actually, those are both better."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Red stood and stamped out the fire. "We've been here too long. Time to move. Are you good?"

Gumball finished his sustenance gel, replaced his helmet, and stood as well.

"Yeah, why?"

Red started walking and said, "You were really badly damaged. My repairs should last until you make it to an Outland shop or something."

"Outland Industries?" Gumball asked as he caught up with Red.

"Yeah. You've heard of them? They've got an Android Repair team. I'll show you."

"I just came from an Outland place back in Callisto," Gumball explained.

"Callisto? That's pretty far. What were you doing out there?"

Gumball shrugged. "I woke up and saw explosions, mean people with guns, giant robots. It was crazy."

As they reached the city limits, Gumball added, "They looked like that one," as he pointed towards one of the large bots.

"Ah, that's a Sentinel," Red replied. "Robotic one-man army. Worth a lot of money."

Gumball looked away as the Sentinel started observing them.

"I can tell," he said.

The tall robots stood around the high walls surrounding the skyscrapers and floating cities that knifed into the dark night. They were like beacons of glory, radiating brilliant light that seemed to cast down derision on the decayed and calcified shells of former structures at the city limits and those who lived within them.

Gumball had no doubt in his mind that only the elite few enjoyed the luxury and safety within those walls. Everyone else clung to brutal life outside.

As they walked through the outer city, Gumball noticed a few men at a table outside a fast food establishment. They had the same bowls of colorless sustenance gel. However, what caught Gumball's attention was one man, holding up a pendant. Gumball gasped, and began to search himself.

"What's wrong?" Red asked. "Are you breaking down again already?"

"Those are the guys who beat me up!" Gumball replied, pointing towards the people in question. "They took my pendant!"

He sighed in exasperation. "Oh man, how am I gonna get that back?"

"You want it back? I can do that, easy," Red said coolly.

"Really?" Gumball asked. "How?"

Red smiled. "Watch."

The microcircuit under Red's left eye glowed electric blue. A high-pitched whine echoed through the air, followed by a small explosion, the result of something short-circuiting in the shop. Light fixtures burst. Hovering cars malfunctioned. The area flooded with smoke and turned dark as the power died.

People started screaming. Those caught in the smoke stumbled around, coughing profusely.

Red and Gumball, with their augmented vision, could see easily through the smoke. Implants filtered fumes from the air that they inhaled, thus they had no trouble breathing.

Red asked, "What? Do you want me to fetch the pendant for you, too?"

"Showoff," Gumball muttered.

He walked over to the men blundering around in the dark. He plucked the pendant off the table where it had been dropped. He stood for a moment, staring at the coughing man who had taken his necklace.

Gumball gave in to temptation, and threw a punch. His eyes opened wide as the man flew several feet, and lay unmoving. Gumball remained frozen. He looked around, checking if anyone saw what just happened.

He muttered, "Sorry!" and ran, leaving the chaos with Red.

"You're welcome," said Red.

"Yeah, yeah, thanks. You don't have to rub it in."

Red laughed. "I save your life and get your necklace back and that's how you repay me?"

"It takes a big man to be grateful..." Gumball said. "I am not that big a man."

As he put the pendant on, he saw Red's smile fade.

Red asked, "Where'd you get that?"

His voice had become serious and stern again.

"Some alien thing gave it to me," Gumball replied. "I think my helmet said it was called the Overseer or something. I don't know what to do with it."

"I think it goes into that hole on your shoulder."

"There's a hole in my shoulder?"

Gumball checked his suit, and there was indeed a small depression on his shoulder. It was shaped like the pendant, as well.

"Huh. Never noticed that before," he said.

Red ducked down into an alleyway. He stopped at a locked door and hovered his hand over it. The micro-circuitry that glowed blue under his skin went to work, hacking the door almost instantaneously.

As it opened, Red said, "Change of plans. This is where we part ways. Go back to Solaris, ask around for Outland repair, and get yourself fixed. My makeshift repairs won't last."

This surprised Gumball. "How did you know I got here in Solaris?"

"Listen carefully," Red replied in a deadly serious tone. "Before you say anything, give this authorization code to Outland. Remember this: 7355608. Got it?"

Gumball opened his mouth to complain and talk about his dislike of memorizing things, but he saw his helmet record the code for him.

Red turned to enter the doorway, but Gumball stopped him.

"Wait! Uh... Have you ever heard of New Elysium?" he asked.

"Hah, everyone has. Nobody knows where it is, though."

"Oh… Well, thanks for everything, I guess. Bye."

He turned to leave, but Red stopped him this time.

"Gumball."

Gumball turned and watched Red step out of the doorway, which slid closed. He walked out of the alleyway and into the open.

He took a deep breath.

"There's something you should know. Something important. About New Elysium?"

"Yeah?"

"The pendants will help you find it. You've found one, and there's three more to go."

Gumball stared at the pendant in his hand. "Wait, but... what even _are_ these things?"

"Find me as soon as you get all four. Stay safe out there, okay?"

"Wait, I still don't get it."

Red turned around to face him. "Just do as I say!"

Gumball jumped back, and Red gasped, looking just as startled as him.

Red closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry. We don't have much time. Please, just... meet up with me. Everyone here wants to destroy or use you."

He glared at Gumball. "And I mean _everyone._ Be careful who you talk to."

Looking in Red's eyes, Gumball experienced a sense of familiarity. He had seen them before... but something corrupted was behind them. Something cold and hardened.

Red replied, "The time will come when we will rise up from the ground. We are the chosen ones, Gumball. With our voices in unison, we will sound the beginning of the end."

He raised his voice, seemingly fueled by unbridled rage.

"We will tear this oppressive empire down. Its walls will fall like the ancient city of Jericho."

He stretched out his arms, gesturing to the massive buildings up above.

"This sickening mess is only a microcosm of what goes on wherever there is civilization. I plan to end it."

Gumball is confused. "Micro wha?"

Red sighed. "I mean you can see this 'elites versus impoverished' situation everywhere."

"Ohhhh."

"Look around you. Even after so many brushes with extinction, the apocalypse, and armageddon, mankind has not changed. It is, ironically, the only thing about us that stays the same. They dabble in the indulgent. In the needless. They don't even bat an eye at people like us. Some of them have probably even forgotten that we're here. They're too busy living their perfect lives in places like Central or Neo-Tokyo."

"I've... never heard of those," Gumball said.

Red replied, "It doesn't matter. Look, maybe you can find New Elysium. You wouldn't be the first. But for the rest of us?"

He clenched his fists. "Hear my promise, Traveler. I've been here for so long I can't remember who I am..."

His voice faltered, becoming little more than a whisper.

"I've always been treated like some kind of mistake... But until my dying day, I will seek to take what they have and bring it down. To everyone that needs. To everyone that suffers. To everyone that is forgotten."

Red walked past Gumball back into the alleyway. "We will bring about the end of this empire. Open to all plugins, and then some."

He looked over his shoulder and asked, "Interested?"

Gumball was overwhelmed with information yet again. It was a bit too much to take in. He pondered for a bit before responding.

"Uhhh... Nah, I'm good," he said.

Red sighed. "To the Salvation Code, Traveler."

He opened the door again and disappeared inside, the door locking behind him.

Gumball took a deep breath.

 _Well that was... interesting,_ he thought. _Man, what a day._

He turned and found himself in a very dark, remote area of the outer city. He gulped. He would have to fend for himself from now on. He took off the pendant that the Overseer had given to him.

He took a deep breath.

"Well," he said to himself. "Here goes. No idea what this'll do, but... ehh."

He fitted the pendant into the indentation on his shoulder.

Then he fell to the ground, completely limp. Text appeared on his HUD.

 **Dream mode activated.**

* * *

 _At the edge of the hellfire  
_ _It's the end of an empire  
_ _In the line of the gunfire  
_ _It's the end of an empire_

 _We are the young  
_ _The chosen ones  
_ _Voices in unison, the ending has begun_

 _A new kingdom come  
_ _A new will be done  
_ _Enter into this New Elysium_

 _No more dreams are lost in time  
_ _No more lives are lost inside  
_ _New Kingdom Come  
_ _New Will Be Done  
_ _Our voices unified_

 _We're falling into the unknown  
_ _Another ending that's beginning to unfold_

 _For me,_

 _For you,_

 _Enter_

 _Into_

 _This New Elysium_

* * *

 **OVERSEER**

Data: The Overseer of a mysterious race of beings who monitor and regulate time. They have been known to engage with individuals to course-correct time related anomalies.  
Last Known Location: Atiria  
ID: [REDACTED]  
Empire: TIME

* * *

 **Chapter 01: TIME**

Faction 03 | Time is Lost

 **04/11/2017**


	4. Time is Lost

**The Traveler  
by Villicus**

 **Chapter 01: TIME**

Faction 03 | Time is Lost

* * *

 _I_

 _feel lost in time_

 _But if I wait for direction my lifetime will pass me by_

* * *

As Anais Watterson arrived home from school and pushed open the door to her house, she instantly recognized her mother yelling from somewhere within. On the phone with Elmore PD, no doubt. She had pity on whoever was on the other end, as few people could ever placate a concerned, angry mother.

Darwin took a seat next to Richard on the couch, looking to pacify his troubled mind with some TV.

Classmates and friends did not take the news of Gumball's disappearance very well. Penny was especially downtrodden.

Anais, Darwin, and Carrie had debated amongst themselves whether or not to tell Penny about what Rob had told them, and they decided to keep it between them for now. It might not be best to tell someone in emotional turmoil further bad news.

They also decided not to tell their parents, Nicole especially. She would track down Rob and beat him senseless until he coughed up Gumball, and that would destroy any chances of knowing more about what took him or where he went.

They still had their doubts, of course, but they had no other choice. They had to trust Rob for the time being since nobody else could come up with anything. Gumball Watterson had certainly disappeared without a trace that night.

As Anais ascended the stairs, Outland's services, ranging from simple quality-of-life assistance to downright augmentation, flashed across the TV.

An exhausted Nicole entered the living room. She rolled her eyes at the exorbitant prices shown on the screen.

Richard asked, "We don't have to buy anything they make, do we?"

"Well, I say the less we have to do with fancy things we don't need, the better," Nicole replied.

Anais entered the empty bedroom upstairs. It felt lifeless without its occupants. Memories filled her mind like echoes from a distant past; moments that felt so long ago, moments that could no longer be reproduced.

She shook her head, brushing away despairing thoughts. She shouldn't lose hope. She'd find a way to bring her brother back, even if nobody else could. She'd pry information from Rob with her bare hands if she had to.

She rubbed at her eyes and yawned. A long day filled with sorrow and despair could bring anyone to fatigue. In between ruining the day for people with the news, she had been on the lookout for other abnormalities as per Rob's instructions.

She and Carrie had found a book in the library that spoke of a being that held each person's dreams as a world in its hand. Anais had borrowed it, planning to study it extensively tonight. However, she now found it difficult to keep her eyes open.

 _I'll just... take a little nap,_ she thought.

She jumped into bed, hoping to extract every bit of info she could from that book as soon as she woke. She quietly hoped to wake up at midnight. It would be nice and quiet, and nobody could bother her.

She lost consciousness, and soon ventured into the depths of her own mind, lost in a dream.

A dream unlike any other.

An older version of Anais stood outside the Watterson household on a sandy dune, in the middle of a sandstorm. Her home lay slightly buried in the ground, dilapidated and decayed, as if it were shaken and dropped on the ground, then left abandoned for years.

She looked down at her hands, covered in black fingerless gloves. She held a sheathed butterfly knife, produced by a contraption on her right arm.

With a few swift flicks of the wrist, she unsheathed the blade and approached the house, her boots sinking into the sand. She reached the door and raised a leg to kick it down.

* * *

 _I_

 _feel lost in time_

 _I think if I lived for forever,_

 _this feeling would never die_

* * *

Gumball was startled awake by a loud noise, and hit his head on the top bunk of his bed.

"Ow! What the?"

He seemed to be back home. It was very early in the morning, but the first few rays of sunlight were starting to lance through the window. What sounded like a storm battered the windows and walls.

As Gumball rubbed his head, he felt something strange. He looked at his hands, squinting in the dark.

 _What am I wearing?_ he thought.

His eyes opened wide in shock.

This is the weird space suit from my dream!

He stared at the object at the foot of the bed: a helmet with a visor.

 _No way._

Memories flooded back: robots and soldiers, Solaris, the ship he rode in, Atiria, the desolate planet, the city of Deltar, his conversations and adventure with Red, the pendant.

He quickly checked his shoulder. Embedded in the depression, gleaming blue, was the pendant that the Overseer had given him.

 _Ugh... my head._

As this wealth of information inundated him, he noticed that the bed he sat on felt extremely small. He stood and realized that he had grown taller.

 _Did I... have a growth spurt or something?_ he thought as he examined himself.

The floorboards groaned under his feet. This prompted him to look at his surroundings more closely.

"What happened here?" he said to himself, noticing the derelict state of the house.

He tensed up as he heard something like a footstep outside. Was someone sneaking up the stairs?

He took slow, shaky steps towards the door, taking care not to make any noise. He pressed his ear to the worn, scratched surface of the door.

Apart from his own breathing and the storm outside, he could hear nothing. He continued to listen for about a minute, just to make sure.

He sighed, fairly certain that he was safe. As he pulled back from the door, he screamed and fell to the ground when a blade punctured the spot where he was moments ago.

He looked up at the door, and watched the blade withdraw from it, allowing a ray of bright light through.

The door then crashed down, kicking up dust. Gumball shielded his face with his arms, and started screaming. When he felt nobody stabbing him with a knife or filling him with holes using some futuristic gun, he slowly opened his eyes and lowered his voice.

What he saw made him gasp.

Standing in the doorway bathed in golden light from the rising sun was Anais.

She donned a white tank top, goggles and cargo pants, the same outfit worn by their mother during a chaotic paintball game long ago. She also had a gray bandanna on her head, keeping her pink ears down, another bandanna around her neck, and a pair of black combat boots. A strange device was on her right arm.

"Jeez, Gumball," she said. "I thought you were someone else. What are you _doing_ here?"

Gumball failed to respond, still gaping at his sister, completely incredulous.

Anais continued, "Are you just gonna sit there or what?"

"I... uh... wh..."

Anais sighed. "Get up."

Gumball stood, and finally formed a coherent response.

"Anais? Where are we? What happened?"

She looked at him like he was crazy. "What are you talking about? Did you hit your head or something?"

"Uh... What? What are _you_ talking about? What happened to our house?! Was I asleep for a couple years or something? Is this a dream?"

Anais stared at him, confusion plastered on her face. She looked at the ground, mumbling to herself for moment before looking back at Gumball with wide eyes.

"I... I don't know," she replied. "I just kind of... went with it. That probably means it's a dream, right?"

"Uhh..."

"Think about it. Whenever we dream, we never really question things, no matter how irrational or weird things get."

"I guess? What does that mean, though? We're dreaming?"

Anais shook her head slowly, shrugging.

Gumball sighed.

"What is going on?" he asked. "I don't know if this is real or not."

 _Real, unreal, what's the difference?_

Gumball's head swung around as if it were on a swivel.

"Did you hear that?" he asked.

Anais was quiet for a second as she looked around. "Hear what?"

"I thought I heard-"

The roar of an engine filled the air.

"Oh no," Anais said. "We have to go." She ran downstairs.

"Wait what? Go where? What is that?"

"We need to go, now!" Anais yelled as she threw open the door and sprinted outside, where a sandstorm was raging. She quickly disappeared from sight.

Gumball groaned, put on his helmet, and followed his sister out into the dunes.

The sandstorm had reduced their visibility to no more than three feet in front of them. Fortunately, Gumball still had his enhanced eyesight, and it allowed him to see clearly through the torrent of sand. He ran after Anais, and thanks to his augmentations, quickly closed the gap between them.

The sand buffeted his suit. Gumball was beginning to think of it less as a space suit and more as... armor.

He yelled through the noise. "What's going on? Where are we going?"

Either Anais didn't hear him, or she chose not to answer.

The sandstorm suddenly disappeared, revealing a strange sight.

"Whoa..."

Gumball slowed, gazing at his surroundings.

"Where are we?" he asked.

His helmet responded, printing text on his HUD

 **Current location: Callisto**

He caught up with Anais, who had stopped to catch her breath.

He asked, "What is Callisto?"

"One of the... biggest moons... of Jupiter..." Anais replied in between rapid breaths. "I think we lost them."

"Them? Who's them?"

The rev of an engine reached their ears.

"Run!" Anais yelled, sprinting away yet again. Before she could make much ground, however, a black SUV cut her path off. Two heavily modified sedans flanked the two siblings, boxing them in.

The car doors opened, revealing several people that Gumball recognized as citizens of Elmore. They toted strange weapons.

One of them barked, "Get in the car."

"And why would we do that?" Anais retorted.

"Oh, no reason. I just thought you wanted to live, is all."

They cocked their guns and took aim.

Anais sighed and dropped her knife. She looked at Gumball, and motioned for him to follow her as she reluctantly walked to the SUV.

"See? Not so hard to follow orders when your life's at risk."

The two siblings were bound in rope and thrown into the trunk of the SUV. The three vehicles soon departed, a large dust cloud in their wake, leaving the derelict Watterson household silent once more.

* * *

In an unknown location, a creature, seemingly made of rock or steel, approached a control panel. The panel lit up on contact, illuminating the creature in red. Overhead maps of different areas on Callisto appeared.

The creature zoomed in on an area next to a large city. A large chasm filled with water surrounded it, keeping out any intruders. A long bridge seemed to be the only entrance.

A diagram of a Tyrannosaurus Rex appeared on the console, and the creature swiped its hand over it. The diagram glitched out, bathed in static.

* * *

"What is that?" Gumball asked. He heard a strange noise overhead.

The back of the vehicle was cramped, but he could still see out the back window and hear unintelligible chatter from the passengers in front.

"Sounded like... a Pterodactyl," answered Anais.

"A wha?"

"One of those flying dinosaurs."

"What? How did that get here?"

Anais simply shrugged. "I don't think I know any more than you do."

Gumball opened his mouth to ask another question, but the vehicle was suddenly bathed in fire. The siblings were thrown from their positions as the SUV flipped.

The front half of the vehicle was gone, decimated by the explosion. The remains of the vehicle bounced several times at high speed before finally skidding to a halt in the sand.

Gumball pushed himself off the ground as he heard an intense ringing in his ears. It felt like his brain just did somersaults in his head.

His vision was blurry, but he could make out the black floor of the vehicle over him and Anais struggling to cut her bonds with a knife.

 _Where'd she get that?_ he thought.

Anais succeeded in freeing herself, then quickly went to work on Gumball's restraints.

The ground was shaking at periodic intervals, and Gumball could hear roaring and more explosions as his hearing returned.

"What is going on...?" he groaned.

"I have no idea," Anais answered. "But we're not sticking around to find out."

She cut through the last strands of rope on Gumball and crawled over to the side of the overturned SUV.

She got into a crouching position. "Alright, be quick, okay?"

"What do you mean-"

Anais took hold of the vehicle and started to lift. With a loud yell, she raised up the SUV, providing a gap large enough to crawl through and making Gumball's jaw drop.

"Come on! GO!" she yelled.

As Gumball made his way out, his eyes met the strangest thing he'd ever seen since he awoke.

"What the heck?"

A large Tyrannosaurus-Rex, even bigger than Tina's father, that had weapons anchored on its sides.

It was a cyborg. Red metallic alloy surrounded patches of its dark green skin. Its eyes glowed bright orange.

Flesh, circuit and bone, just like Gumball.

It saw the siblings and roared, firing off a salvo of light towards him.

"Look out!" Anais yelled as she dove towards Gumball. They hit the ground, barely missing the cyborg's projectiles.

Gumball groaned, and saw out of the corner of his eye the two other vehicles that had been escorting them. They were far off in the distance, heading towards a bridge.

He scoffed. "Cowards."

"Get up!" Anais yelled.

They got to their feet as the T-rex hybrid roared again.

"Let's go!" Anais said as she sprinted towards some abandoned houses in the distance.

Gumball took one last look at the cyborg before he took off running. It had been distracted by some smaller dinosaurs in the area. Raptors scattered as they were fired upon.

As they neared the houses, he heard the hybrid let loose another loud roar. It sounded far away.

He sighed in relief and stopped to catch his breath.

 _Well, at least we're safe,_ he thought.

He then heard something behind him. Before he could turn around, a beam of light streamed over his head, barely missing him.

"Whoa!"

Anais also ducked, but she kept running.

Gumball turned.

In the distance, he saw a robot in white armor, hovering over the ground. It had its arm pointed at him, the end of its weapon smoking.

Gumball groaned in frustration. "Cyborg dinosaurs and robots? Am I in a movie or something? This doesn't make any sense!"

 _It doesn't have to make sense._

Before Gumball could trace the location of the unknown voice, he saw the robot take off towards him at high speed.

"Oh crud!" he said as he turned tail and ran again.

The sand gave way to the badly damaged asphalt of an abandoned street and a dilapidated neighborhood. Alongside the broken households, it gave Gumball the faintest sense of being back in Elmore.

Despite all the damage and the random patches of anachronistic land, it was the closest he had ever gotten to some semblance of home. It felt surreal, considering he was on a piece of rock orbiting Jupiter.

He saw Anais in the distance, trying to bash open a thick metal door with her shoulder. He ran towards her, the robot in close pursuit.

Anais had forced the door open just as Gumball reached her. They entered the dark house, shut the door, and replaced the mountain of furniture blocking it.

They took a moment to catch their breath.

"Dang Anais, you forced all that stuff aside by yourself?" Gumball asked, gesturing to the heavy furniture.

Anais didn't reply.

"Glad at least one of us inherited Mom's strength," Gumball muttered under his breath.

The two siblings jumped as a loud noise reverberated through the door. The furniture shifted slightly.

"It's here," Anais said.

Gumball asked, "What is it?"

"Uhh... I think it's called a Scandroid?" Anais said.

"A Scandroid? What kinda ridiculous name is that?"

Another loud crash. The furniture wouldn't hold for long.

"What do we do, sis?" Gumball asked.

Anais made a quick review of her surroundings. She ran further into the house.

Gumball followed, not wanting be around when the Scandroid eventually broke through. He noticed that there were no windows, and that the walls looked heavily reinforced. He tried the lights, but there was no power.

"Is this some kind of bunker or something?" he asked.

He walked into the kitchen and saw Anais fumbling with the stove.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "What are you doing?"

"No time to explain," she replied.

She nodded her head towards the backdoor, also made of reinforced metal.

"There's a manhole in the yard outside. Open it."

"Uh... Okay?"

As Gumball quietly stepped outside, Anais had managed to pull the stove away from the wall, exposing a tube.

Using her knife, she made a tiny slit to check if it still contained gas. An extremely weak breeze put a smile on her face.

"Perfect."

The ground shook. Anais smelled smoke in the air. The robot had switched to its weapon.

"Anais?" Gumball called.

"Yeah?"

"I found it. The lid is... Uhh... It's pretty rusty."

"Just open it."

Another explosion, followed by the loud screech of metal being crushed.

"Was that the door?" Gumball yelled.

"Yeah! Hurry up!" Anais replied.

She drew two knives and readied herself. The glowing visor of the robot blinded her as it approached, but that didn't stop her from parrying the punch it threw.

The force of the punch knocked a knife out of her hands and almost threw her off her feet. She regained her balance and stood face to face with the android.

It regarded her with unblinking eyes, as if studying her physical composition down to the smallest atom, while thinking of the most gruesome way to tear it apart.

Anais picked up her knife, subjecting the bot to an equal amount of scrutiny. It did not react, seemingly taunting her. It was a rugged robot built for the most adverse conditions. Anais could see no exposed wires or any kind of weak spot in the bot's white armor.

The robot's arms shifted. Its weapons retracted, replaced by metal hands, balled up into fists. Its chest opened up and revealed an aperture, which fired an electrified net at Anais.

She narrowly dodged it, and stood up to find the robot staring at her, as if it were only testing her reflexes.

She backed up slowly, the robot following her. Her blades would not be effective against metal.

"Gumball?" she called.

"Almost got it!" came the reply.

The robot charged. Anais took a risk and dove, managing to roll under it. She grabbed the stove's gas tube and severed it with her knife.

She yelled over the hissing gas. "Hurry, Gumball!"

The robot charged once more. Anais tried to roll under it again, but the droid had expected it and grabbed her.

Anais was thrown and hit the wall upside-down. Before she could regain her footing, the robot charged yet again. She dove out of the way as it smashed into the wall. She swung her knife at the back of the robot's head, but her blade bounced harmlessly off its armor. It turned and flew at her, slamming her into another wall.

Before she fell to the floor, the bot threw another punch, hitting her in the gut, sending her through the wall and out into the yard.

A final grunt from Gumball accompanied his last pull on the manhole cover as he tore it free from its hinges.

"I got it!" he exclaimed. He noticed a broken bolt on the lid.

"Oh, _that's_ why."

He turned and saw Anais in the grass, clutching her stomach and coughing hard.

The scandroid burst through the remains of the wall and approached Anais. Its right arm shifted, and soon produced a long blade that protruded from its wrist.

It raised its arm to cut Anais down.

"Hey!" Gumball yelled. "Chew on this!"

He threw the manhole cover like a frisbee, aimed directly at the robot's head.

Time seemed to slow as the robot slowly looked up from Anais to the thick metal lid hurtling straight for its visor.

The sound of metal slicing metal pierced the air.

Anais screamed in pain and clutched at her arm, red liquid seeping through her fingers. The two halves of the metal lid landed behind the robot, blood dripping from its blade.

Gumball stared in shock for a fraction of a second, then felt rage surge through his veins. He yelled at the top of his lungs as he charged the robot. The scandroid readied its blade, simply waiting for its next victim to come within range.

Gumball threw a punch, and the robot slashed.

The loud clang of metal filled the air.

Gumball stared into the robot's visor, seeing his glowing yellow eyes in the reflection.

The droid's blade, pressed against his arm, had failed to slice through his armor. He yelled and pushed the robot back.

The scandroid flew back several feet before its thrusters activated, counteracting the momentum of Gumball's shove.

Before the bot could make another move, Gumball leaped towards it and delivered a heavy blow to the visor. As it staggered backwards, he took hold of its arm and pulled with all his might, severing it free from the torso.

He continued to strike the robot in blind fury, until it threw a punch of its own, and sent Gumball flying.

He landed in the grass, sprawling out next to the manhole. He quickly got to his feet and prepared to pounce again when he felt a paw on his shoulder.

He growled as he turned, making Anais recoil.

Though adrenaline continued to course through Gumball's system, his rage abated, quickly replaced by concern.

Before he could speak, Anais produced a lighter.

"Go," she said, gesturing towards the manhole. "I'll handle this."

Gumball opened his mouth to protest, but Anais had already produced a flame.

"Go," she repeated.

Gumball took a deep breath to calm himself, then nodded. He proceeded to make his way down.

Anais stood facing the droid. Its visor was cracked and arcs of electricity were jumping around on several points on its body, but it was already reattaching its severed arm.

The smell of gasoline in the air was growing thick. Anais raised her arm and threw the lighter as hard as she could.

She jumped down the manhole as the volatile gas was set ablaze.

Before she hit the ground, the house exploded into a giant, blazing inferno, making Gumball lose his grip. Both siblings fell down the shaft, closely followed by tongues of flame from the growing fireball.

They hit the hard concrete down below, the flames stopping just short of them.

The siblings were quiet for a few moments, their heavy breathing the only sound accompanying the crackling of the fires above.

Gumball groaned in pain before he spoke.

"That... was... awesome!"

Anais, already on her feet, couldn't help but crack a smile. Even in life-threatening circumstances, her brother bled more optimism than blood.

"What kind of gas even explodes like that?" Gumball continued.

Anais walked over to him and offered her hand, which he gladly accepted.

"You almost got us killed, you crazy goon," she said as she helped him up.

"Hey! Last I checked, it wasn't my idea to blow the house up."

"Fair enough."

As Gumball dusted himself off, Anais felt intense pressure from her conscience, pushing her to say something.

She stared at the ground and mumbled something inaudible.

"What'd you say?" Gumball asked.

Anais rubbed her arm. She swallowed her pride and spoke in a quiet voice.

"I said... Thanks for saving me back there."

Gumball smiled. "No problem, sis."

His eyes opened wide in surprise as he suddenly felt Anais's arms wrapped around him in a warm embrace.

"I don't know why," she said, "but it feels like you've been gone forever. I missed you, Gumball."

Gumball remained frozen, but soon returned the hug, his memories of Atiria flooding back a second time.

"I missed you too, sis."

The loud noise of something falling through the shaft made both siblings jump. They both turned to look at a large pile of scrap metal that had landed at the base of the ladder.

Gumball smirked. "Not so tough now, are you?"

His smirk disappeared when the pile of metal moved.

"No. _way._ "

The scandroid, now without its armor, struggled to reconstruct itself.

Anais drove a knife through the pile of metal. Without the armor, her blade pierced through easily.

She lifted her knife and brought it down a second time.

A third time.

A fourth time.

A fifth time.

Gumball gaped at her as she repeatedly stabbed the scandroid.

"Uhh..."

Anais grunted as she pulled her blade free one last time and kicked the perforated mess into the water. She spat in its direction, her blood slowly diffusing into the stream.

"Good riddance."

Gumball noticed more blood dripping on the ground, mixing with the stream and tinging it red.

"Oh shoot, how's your arm?"

"It's a superficial cut," Anais replied. "I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" Gumball asked.

Anais produced some gauze from her pocket and wrapped it around her arm. It would function well as absorbent dressing.

She started walking, away from the trail of blood in the water.

"Come on, Gumball. Let's go."

"You're tough as nails, aren't you?"

"Shut up."

* * *

 _I am a criminal without a crime_

 _I am a genius without a mind_

 _Always a reason, but there's never a rhyme_

 _How could patience be my virtue_

 _when I'm out of time?_

 _How could I know where I'm going_

 _when I'm lost in time?_

* * *

"So what's going on here?" Gumball asked.

Anais took a deep breath before replying.

"I'm not really sure myself. Like I said, I just kind of went with it. I've no idea how dreams mess with our heads."

"Alright, well... How is Callisto... uh... How are we not... um..."

Gumball trailed off.

"How is Callisto habitable?" Anais offered.

"Yeah, that's it."

Anais shrugged.

Gumball groaned. "Great... Well, how did we get here?"

"No idea."

"Wow, two for two. Alright, how about... What are we doing here?"

"I… don't remember."

"... Nice. So you know nothing."

"Oh, shut up. As if you know anything."

"Okay, fair. But I have a cool suit."

Anais rolled her eyes.

The walls of the sewer turned from decayed metal into brown sandstone.

"Are we in a cave now?" Gumball asked.

"I guess. The land here is weird."

"You can say that again," replied Gumball.

He ran his hand along the walls. He felt something strange.

"Hey, do you hear that?" Gumball asked.

"Hm?"

They stopped and listened. A low thumping sound seemed to emanate from the walls.

Gumball walked towards the source. "Come on, let's check it out."

They stepped into a narrow opening that lead further into the dark caverns, the sound slowly growing louder.

It sounded like a heartbeat.

"Gumball, are you sure about this?" Anais asked. "What if we get lost or... what if there's a cave-in?"

Her brother remained silent as he continued forward.

"...I just have this gut feeling. Like we have to be here," he replied.

"A feeling? Really?"

"Just trust me, okay?"

They continued walking, the caverns becoming narrower and darker. Lights on Gumball's helmet suddenly flickered on.

"Huh, that's useful." Anais remarked. "Where did you even get that suit?"

Gumball shrugged. "I don't know. Where did you get that cool knife making thing?"

Anais stared at the device on her wrist.

"...I have no idea, either."

"Hey, check it out."

A pulsating glow in the distance shone in their faces. Other noises apart from the heartbeat became apparent. They heard the whirring and humming of machinery, along with the hissing of steam.

They entered a massive cavern housing a strange machine. In the center, a mechanical heart-shaped object was suspended in the air.

It pulsed and writhed, pumping unknown substances through long hoses that spread throughout the cave, and far beyond it.

Behind it was the source of the light.

Gumball gasped.

"What is all this?" Anais asked.

Gumball slowly approached the glowing blue emblem on the wall. He recognized it as the same emblem from his dream. The same one embedded in his shoulder.

He raised a hand towards it. "This is..."

"Wait! What are you doing? Don't touch-"

The embled glowed brighter. The hands on its clock face began to rotate, and the cave started to shake.

"What did you do?!" Anais yelled.

Gumball recoiled. "Nothing! I just-"

A flash of light made him cover his face, and when it faded he found himself staring in awe.

A tiny version of the emblem, glowing blue, was embedded in the wall in front of him.

He reached out to touch it, and it flew into his hand.

It was warm.

Sunlight suddenly flooded in as the ceiling opened up, revealing a way out.

"Look! Gumball, we've gotta go!"

The quaking grew more severe, and debris started to fall from above. The machinery slowly grinded to a halt, and the heart's pumping began to slow.

The duo ran towards the opening, and saw a circular metal plate on the ground just below it.

"How are we gonna get up there?" Gumball asked.

He felt the pendant grow hot in his fist, and a pillar of light consumed them both.

They screamed as they were lifted into the air and up towards the opening as the cave collapsed.

The light faded, and they found themselves being gently lifted down on a tall mountainside. Gumball fell on his face.

"What... What just happened?" Anais asked.

"You tell me," Gumball replied, pulling himself from the ground.

"What did you get?"

Gumball opened his palm. "Some kind of pendant thing. I've seen it before."

"Can I have a look?"

He handed it to her.

Anais cradled it in her palms like a precious artifact. "Fascinating. It's some kind of unknown material that's been designed to look like a watch."

Gumball yawned.

Anais stared at him. "Are you serious?"

"I don't know how, Anais, but you made an alien watch sound boring."

Anais groaned. "Whatever."

"Do you think it has something to do with this?" Gumball asked, showing Anais the same pendant in his shoulder.

"Where did you get that?"

Gumball opened his mouth, but found himself speechless. He had the answer. He knew it clearly, as if he just got it. But now, it was just… gone. As if it was erased from his memory a moment before.

"I… I don't remember." He said. "I knew it, though. Something… somewhere… gave it to me. I just know it but…"

He groaned in frustration. "I know it! But, like… ugh, I can't remember. Like it's just out of reach."

A loud roar echoing in the distance startled the duo. It prompted Gumball to stand and look out towards the horizon. He took a deep breath as he took in his surroundings once more.

Now that there was no immediate threat, Gumball could finally take a good look at the peculiar land of Callisto.

It was a mess of landscapes that consisted of lush forests, barren deserts, grassy marshlands, and countless other habitats, with random pieces of technology from different time periods strewn about. A Pterodactyl flew overhead, while a Tyrannosaurus Rex and Stegosaurus duked it out in the forest below. A large futuristic city, not unlike Deltar, was situated in the middle of a giant chasm filled with water. Black crags of rock jutted out everywhere.

In the clear expanse above was Saturn, its large and beautiful rings dominating most of the sky.

The sights took Gumball's breath away.

"It's like someone took a time machine and stitched together land from different times."

"That's... That's a pretty reasonable theory," Anais admitted.

She pointed at the city. "I'm sure we'll be able to get some answers over there. Let's go."

Gumball gulped. "You mean we have to go through where the T-Rex is?"

"Oh, don't be a baby. At least it's not a cyborg this time," Anais said.

She swung her legs out over the edge of the cliff.

"Wait, what are you doing!?" Gumball asked.

"How else do you expect to get down there? Fall?"

"You-you don't have any futuristic elevator or portal gun or something?"

Anais smirked. "Nope. Just climbing skills and a lack of fear of heights. Come on."

"Hey, wait! What about-"

Anais disappeared from view below the cliffside. Gumball groaned in frustration.

He looked out towards the forest again. The T-rex had won, and was eating the fallen Stegosaurus.

Gumball gulped. "Oh, man."

 _The strong survive_ , a voice said.

Gumball narrowed his eyes and swiveled his head around. Just like before, nothing.

 _The weak perish, it continued. It is the law of nature._

"Who are you?" Gumball asked. "Are you in my head?"

Gumball then grunted in pain and grabbed his head.

 _The conqueror feasts upon the conquered._

He gritted his teeth, the voice booming in his head and the sudden, splitting headache nearly making his vision black out.

 _And in death, the dead feed the living._

"Aghh!"

 _Old age, disease, and injury mean weakness._

 _Weakness invites death._

 _They are no respecter of persons, places, or things._

 _They bite, they sting, they aggravate and torment._

The pain grew more intense, wracking Gumball's nerves and forcing him to the ground.

"AGHH!"

 _They are without mercy._

Gumball's felt his skin start to convulse and bubble underneath his suit. It was like something growing within his blood vessels, fighting to break out, all the while causing him excruciating pain.

He could do nothing but howl in agony.

 _ **Old age, disease, weakness, and even death.**_

Gumball opened his eyes. Another voice. One that he recognized.

 _ **These too, will pass…**_

Gumball felt instant relief, the violent convulsions afflicting his body fading. A soothing warmth washed over him, emanating from his shoulder.

From the pendant.

 _ **...in Time.**_

Gumball had one thing on his mind before he collapsed.

The Overseer.

* * *

 _I've wandered from the pathway_

 _Praying you will come to save me_

* * *

 _What's taking him so long?_ Anais thought. She was about halfway down the cliff face and had seen no sign of Gumball. Was he really that scared?

She sighed, and started to climb back up, intending to carry him down if she had to. An unexpected shadow made her stop and look at the sky.

She gasped as large ships approached the planet, blotting out the sun.

The ground shook as smaller spacecraft drew near. They flew over the land, using unknown technology to tear it up.

Large boulders were thrown into the air as the ships carved out bottomless chasms in the ground.

The entire moon started to crumble apart. Anais lost her grip and fell from the cliff face, but she would never reach the ground.

There was no ground anymore.

Callisto itself was no more.

She screamed her brother's name as she was sucked into the dark abyss of endless space.

The ships flew away, a collection of giant, drifting asteroids in their wake.

It was dark and quiet again.

Like midnight.

* * *

 _PLEASE COME TO SAVE ME  
_ _This feeling will never die  
_ _I'm lost in time_

 _Never,_

 _ever,_

 _die_

 _I'm lost in time_

 _This feeling will never die_

* * *

 **Chapter 02**

Coming Soon


	5. Siren

**The Traveler  
** **By Villicus**

 **Chapter 02: Love**

Cover art: **Siren** by Ninja Jo

 _Chapter 02: Love continues with the second act in The Traveler, picking up right where Chapter 01: Time left off. This chapter continues to build on the mysteries surrounding the connections between Gumball's world and Atiria; the dreamscapes that his friends travel and the numinous creatures that they encounter within them._

 _Events both in and outside the dreamworld continue to take their toll on Gumball, allowing doubt and cynicism entry into his mind, while Penny descends from orbit with the Siren on a roller coaster ride of emotions and different worlds that takes you from the heavy, the gritty, and the monstrous to the poignant, the sentimental, and the loving._

Faction 04 | Siren

* * *

 _We're falling into the unknown_

 _Another ending that's beginning to unfold_

* * *

Silent darkness.

Then, flashes of light.

Flickering images.

A strange device on the floor of a derelict church.

Abandoned, damaged buildings scattered on a desolate wasteland, stretching as far as the horizon.

The remains of robotic humanoids, scattered around like victims of war.

Strange floating machines, like mechanical eyeballs, scanning warehouses full of broken down materials.

More visuals flashed within Anais's mind like a clipshow that she could not look away from. An eerie voice echoed throughout the whole ordeal, chanting over and over.

 _It's the end..._

The last image that she saw was that of a man with a red mohawk standing in a wasteland, watching a spacecraft falling through the air.

Both Anais and the man stared at the ship as it fell to earth, approaching a derelict city and crashing into one of its skyscrapers, cleaving it in two. Anais could have sworn she heard Gumball yelling.

The unknown voice sang one last time before all went dark and quiet once more.

 _It's the end of an empire..._

Anais awoke abruptly, her heart pounding out of her chest. It was early in the morning, just like her dream, before she found...

 _Gumball!_

He was in her dream. She remembered calling for him and falling through an endless void. She felt so helpless...

Her stomach ached. Her arm throbbed. She squinted in the dark and noticed a faded line on her arm, exactly where the scandroid had slashed her.

 _How... How is that possible?_ she thought. _It was just a dream... Wasn't it?_

She felt something on her chest as she moved. Something cold and metallic. She took it in her hand and opened her palm. She gasped.

A small round pendant in the design of a watch with parts colored blue.

She didn't know how that got there. She didn't know if anything she dreamt of was real. She didn't know if Gumball was out there in space or in another world.

One thing was certain: she had to tell the others. She looked over at Darwin, asleep in his bowl, a troubled look on his face.

Her eyelids felt heavy still, and soon a yawn escaped her lips.

 _This can wait 'til later._

She turned in her bed, thinking about her dreams, and eventually found sleep.

* * *

 _Look at this wasteland_

 _where humanity once lived and loved_

* * *

The loud buzzing of an alarm clock filled the air, and it was immediately deactivated by a wandering hand.

Penny Fitzgerald yawned as the bright rays of sunshine flooded her room. She took a deep breath and sighed, sorrow splattered on her face and dark lines under her eyes.

She had awakened long before the alarm had gone off, a nightmare having disturbed her slumber.

She sat up and grabbed her diary, flipping it open and taking a pencil inside in her hand.

A quick glance at Penny's recent daily entries showed the abrupt shift in her personality. Her usual upbeat and joyful thoughts suddenly turned dark and brooding.

She set her pencil on the paper and began to write.

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Had another nightmare._

 _Couldn't sleep. I'm so tired._

 _It's been two days since Gumball disappeared, and there's still no sign of him. I can't stop asking myself the same questions over and over, moment by moment. It's driving me crazy..._

 _What could have happened to him?_

 _Who could have done this?_

 _Where is he now?_

 _Is he alright?_

 _Is he even still ali_

The pencil dropped, the hand holding it no longer there. The sheets in the bed moved slightly, and soon parted to reveal a small purple mouse with antlers.

Penny sighed and allowed herself a few minutes to regain her composure - and her control over her shapeshifting - before getting out of bed, assuming her normal form, then making her way downstairs.

 _Oh, Gumball. Please be okay._

Soon after breakfast, the school bus arrived and Penny bid her family goodbye as she left for class.

She stepped on the near-empty bus and took a seat. The bus began its rounds and was soon filled with students. Anyone passing by felt the compulsion to leave Penny alone due to her gloomy appearance.

"Penny," came a loud whisper.

Penny remained mired in thought and did not respond.

"Penny Fitzgerald," the voice said, slightly louder.

Penny turned to her seatmate. "Oh, sorry. What is it...?"

Besider her sat a blue-skinned cyclops with brown hair. He was heavily invested in a book.

"Uh... do I know you?" asked Penny.

Without even looking up, Rob answered, "You used to, but nevermind that."

Penny stared at him for a second, her brain processing his strange response.

"How do you know my name?" she asked in a quiet, stern voice.

"Has Darwin told you anything about Gumball?" Rob said.

"You didn't answer my question."

Rob casually turned a page, chuckling quietly. "I guess not."

Penny's distrust grew, telling her to disengage in conversation, but her curiosity and concern proved stronger.

She asked. "I'm gonna ask you one last time. Who are you?"

"You don't watch the news? Typical."

"Huh. I guess you do."

"Where is Gumball?" Penny yelled. "What have you done to him?!"

"This might be hard to believe," Rob replied, "but he's not here in this world."

Penny stared at him, her mind now racing between incredulity, outrage and worry.

"What?" she asked, her voice rising. "What does that even mean?"

Rob kept his gaze on the book in his lap. He ignored Penny's question, much to her irritation.

Penny turned red, her form shifting into that of a snake-like creature with the head of Medusa.

She hissed at Rob, "Tell me the truth, right now! What did you do to him!?"

Rob's gaze remained fixed to his book. "Still don't believe me?"

"Why should I?" she seethed in response.

Rob lowered his book and showed it to Penny. The illustration inside made her gasp once again as her rage instantly dissipated.

"Th.. that's the... the thing in my dream," Penny said, returning to her normal form.

The illustration was of a robot with feminine features, colored red. The book called it the "Siren."

Rob turned the page. "Him too, right?"

Penny nodded slowly, her eyes never leaving the page, which now showed a man with a red mohawk in armor. He was dubbed the "Emperor."

"What... What is this?" Penny asked, a look of shock on her face. "Who are these people? Why are they in my dreams?"

Rob responded in a low voice, "You're not the only one having these dreams."

Penny remained silent for a moment, but then shook her head. Her anger returned in full force.

"What does this have to do with Gumball?" Penny asked. "Where is he and what have you done to him? If you've hurt him at all, I'll-"

In one swift motion, Rob grabbed Penny by the shoulders and shoved her into the bus window, knocking the breath out of her lungs. Her head hit the window with an audible, painful sounding 'thud'.

" _Listen_ ," Rob snarled through gritted teeth. "I'm _trying_ to be civil here and your attitude is..."

Rob took a deep breath, released his grip and sat back down.

Penny remained standing, her arms raised in defense. Only then did she sense the deafening silence that had come over the bus. She darted her eyes left and right, keeping Rob in the center of her vision.

Everyone seemed... frozen. No motion and no sound. Time had stopped.

"I..." growled Rob. "am _not_ Gumball's nemesis anymore. I'm trying to help you, darn it!"

Penny remained apprehensive. "Why should I trust you? After all you've done, you think I'll believe anything you say?"

Rob closed his eye and bowed his head. His fists slowly unclenched.

"I... I'm sorry..." he said in a weak voice. "I just... I didn't want..."

His response startled Penny. Whether he was being genuine or not, her actions begun replaying in her mind, guilt creeping in and slowly replacing her anger.

"I never wanted to be the villain..." Rob continued, his voice near inaudible.

Penny found herself unable to look at the cyclops. She rubbed her arm, feeling extremely sheepish.

"I'm... I'm sorry, too," she said. "I just want Gumball back safe and sound and none of what you said really helped."

Rob took a deep breath. "Yeah. I could have said all that better. But I'm here to help, I promise. We'll get him back."

Penny sat back down, though she made sure to keep her distance. She gestured to her surroundings.

"Was this your doing?" she asked.

Rob snapped his fingers, and time flowed once more. The bus' engine roared back to life, drowning out the chatter of the students within and the sounds of life outside.

Rob said, "I didn't want to make a scene."

Penny sighed and crossed her arms.

"Alright. I'm listening." she said. "But if you come at me again, I'm burning you alive."

* * *

" _No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear."_

* * *

 **Dream mode deactivated.**

Gumball bolted upright, gasping for breath.

He was back on Atiria, on the outskirts of the city of Deltar.

He had heard Anais yelling his name, but he could do nothing to help her.

Despite what his suit just announced, the dream felt real. He was genuinely fearful for his sister.

He hoped she was okay.

A dark pool of oily substance surrounded him, produced by the damaged wiring connected to various parts of his suit. He stood, the severed cables hanging from his collar like long hair.

Drops of black liquid fell on the ground where he walked.

His helmet beeped.

 **Incoming transmission.**

 **Sender: Red**

His helmet initiated playback, and Red's voice boomed in his ears.

"Hey, Gumball. I hope you've found what you're looking for because this place is going to hell. _Real_ soon. Get offworld while you still can. Solaris leaves in an hour."

"If you want to stay behind, we could use your help. Plus, you get a front row seat to the action. Once in a lifetime opportunity, guaranteed, heh."

A long pause. The sounds of equipment being moved and several hurried footsteps became apparent without Red's voice.

"...Well anyway. This is Red, signing off. Sit down, buckle up, and welcome to the end."

Gumball stood in silence, digesting Red's message.

 _Get off Atiria, huh?_ he thought. _Well, I think I got what I needed here._

He glanced at the pendant in his shoulder.

 _Yeah, I don't want to stick around for whatever's going to happen. When did he say Solaris was leaving? In an hour?_

He glanced at the text displayed on his helmet.

 **Sent: 58 minutes ago**

 _Oh crud!_

He kicked it into high gear and sprinted as fast as he could back towards Solaris. The servos in his mechanical legs revved hard, propelling the young cat like a rocket towards his destination.

Under his feet, a faction of rebels mobilized, utilizing hastily-dug underground tunnels. Among them, a man with red hair fashioned into a mohawk.

He smiled and looked into the crowd, his gaze landing on a person with messy brown hair. Red smiled back, and began strumming on a makeshift guitar.

He sang, the crowd soon joining along, their voices reverberating through the concrete and rising up from the ground.

 _It's been seven long years in a slam on Helion_

 _We've been here for so long, we can't remember who we are_

 _And we eye the sky through prison bars, hope fading with the light_

 _To hell with this cell, we're breaking out tonight!_

* * *

A quiet yawn escaped Nicole's lips.

She sat at the dining room table with her kids, downing coffee straight from the pot. Her tired eyes were puffy from crying all night and consequently had dark bags under them from the lack of sleep.

None of her efforts had been fruitful. Neither the police nor the government combined could match her tenacity in searching for Gumball, but even she could find no trace of her son.

The very thought of it made her eyes threaten to spill tears again.

 _No, not again. Not in front of the kids,_ she thought.

She held in her emotions as a dam held water.

"S..so," she said, her voice slightly unsteady. "How are you guys h-holding up?"

Anais, Darwin and Richard looked at each other, chewing their food silently. They all had their worries, but decided to be uplifting for Nicole's sake, and consequently, their own.

"We'll find him, mom," said Anais.

"Yeah," Darwin beamed, raising his fist. "Gumball's a tough cat. He should be able to protect himself, wherever he is."

"That's right," Richard added. He took Nicole's hand in his. "He takes after you, after all."

Nicole made an effort to smile, the dam behind her eyes threatening to break again.

She sniffed. "Y-yeah. We'll... We'll find him..."

She took another swig of coffee, her hand trembling uncontrollably. She felt Richard squeeze her other hand.

"Aww, come here," said Richard. He took his wife in his arms.

The kids got up and joined in, surrounding Nicole in a group hug.

The pressure was too much.

The dam cracked.

A few tears slid down Nicole's face, but she didn't care about hiding it anymore.

"Gumball..." she said. "Please be okay. Please come home."

* * *

"So, what happened in your dream?" Carrie asked, hovering behind Rob and Penny, having gotten up to speed with both.

"Hang on," replied Penny, noticing the bus nearing the Watterson household. "Let's wait for Darwin and Anais. I'd rather not tell this story twice."

The bus blew its horn, and soon the doors opened, granting entrance to Darwin and Anais, the latter seemingly bursting at the seams with things to discuss..

"Hey dudes! Any sign of Gumball yet?" Rocky asked.

"Not yet, Rocky," said Darwin with a sigh.

"Oh. I hope the little dude's alright. Don't worry, I'm sure he'll turn up soon!"

"Thanks."

As Darwin and Anais walked along the bus, various students made an effort to speak with them and cheer them up. Some even offered them gifts.

All had asked about Gumball. Both siblings were unsure of how to handle the attention, yet they appreciated it nonetheless.

They saw Carrie in the back of the bus, beckoning to them. Seated in front of her was Penny.

"Well, it looks like she told Penny," whispered Darwin to Anais.

Anais replied, "I mean, we had to tell her eventually."

"I guess," Darwin replied. "We're still not sure if Rob's telling the truth."

Anais gulped. "Uh, yeah. About that..."

"What is it?" Darwin asked.

"I had a weird dream about Gumball last night. You know, just like what Rob said would happen."

"What? For real?! What happened?"

The two kids reached Carrie, their jaws dropping upon noticing Rob seated next to an exhausted Penny, a weak smile on her face.

"Hey guys," Carrie greeted. "You won't believe what we're about to tell you."

"What are you doing here?" asked Anais, raising an eyebrow at Rob.

"I figured, since I'm with Outland now, I'd just go back to school," Rob replied. "It gets pretty boring sometimes. Also, this should make it easier to talk about the weird stuff, right?"

Anais didn't completely buy his response.

"Penny was just about to tell us about one of her dreams," Carrie said.

Rob smiled. "I'm all ears."

"Oh! Anais had a weird dream, too!" Darwin said. "She said Gumball was in it."

Rob's smile turned smug. "You believe me now?"

"Don't rub it in," Anais responded, a little defensively. "This still doesn't prove your point."

Rob chuckled. "Maybe. Maybe not. We'll see."

"What does all this have to do with Gumball?" Penny asked.

"I'll tell you later after school. Right now, I think we all need to hear what you two have to say."

"Hm... Alright then," Penny said. "Do you want to go first, Anais?"

"Oh, it's fine. Go ahead," Anais replied.

Darwin muttered, "I'm not sure how this will help us find Gumball..."

"It will," said Rob, indignation in his voice. "Now, the dream?"

Penny cleared her throat.

"I was in some sort of cave or dark room. I'm not completely sure. There was this light coming from somewhere, and I could see..."

She paused, looking uneasy.

"...blood."

The discomfort spread to her listeners.

"B… blood?" Darwin asked fearfully.

Penny nodded. "It was dripping from the ceiling, running down the walls."

"Well, that's enough nightmare fuel for today," Carrie muttered.

"And..." Penny continued, pausing to allow herself time to remember.

"There was someone there... He had red hair and a weird suit."

She looked at Rob. "Your book called him the Emperor."

"What book?" Darwin asked.

Rob took out the volume in question. "This one."

Anais narrowed her eyes. "Wait a minute…"

She gasped. "That was the book I borrowed from the library yesterday! How did you get that?"

Rob scoffed. "You didn't exactly remember to bring it along, did you?"

"Well… you _still_ stole it!"

Rob rolled his eye. "The book was mine. I just stashed it in the library before Outland took me in and I finally got a place to stay. I forgot to go back and grab it. The librarian must've found it and assumed it was school property."

"Wait," Carrie said. "You were living in the library?"

Rob ignored her and shifted his attention back to Penny.

He asked, "What was the Emperor doing?"

Penny put her hand on her chin. "Uh... He was..."

She felt her skin crawl.

"Blood was dripping from his hands, too.

"He was... he was smearing it on the wall, using it like paint.

"Then he started to flicker. Like, he was turning into static or something. Gumball would appear in his place, doing the same thing."

"What?" Anais asked. "Gumball?"

Penny nodded. "The static would come up and it would switch between Gumball and that other guy. They were drawing a heart symbol on the wall.

"When they finished, I swear I could hear a heartbeat. Then Gumball turned to look at me and there was this... evil look on his face. Like, there was this weird glint in his eye and he had this really creepy smile. He started to come towards me and... then I woke up."

They looked to Rob for an explanation.

"Go on," Rob said. "You said you dreamed about the Siren, too."

"Siren?" Anais asked.

Penny said, "Oh, right. I just saw it kneeling in front of the Emperor, and he had its head in his hands. Then they stood up, back to back, like something was about to attack them. They..."

She paused, her face unreadable.

"They...?" Rob prodded.

Penny gulped. "They were... _shot_... through the chest. Both of them."

The others winced, but Rob was unfazed.

"And you? What did you dream about?" he asked Anais.

She raised her eyebrow at him. "Straight to the point, huh?"

"It'd be easier to explain both dreams at once, don't you think?"

"Fair point."

Anais took a deep breath, her head reeling from Penny's story. She pushed it all to the back of her mind, where she began reaching for the memories of her dream. She then realized it would be even worse than Penny's dream.

She said, "If you thought Penny's dreams were crazy, you're not even gonna comprehend mine. I sure can't. It's borderline unfathomable."

"Tell us first," Rob said, slightly impatient. "Then we'll see."

Anais sighed. "Alright. Here goes..."

* * *

 _Been gone seven long years from the place that I call home_

 _My only crime is that I'm made of flesh, circuit, and bone_

 _As we eye the sky, we see the light_

 _of our faction's satellite,_

 _To hell with this cell, we're breaking out tonight!_

The song could still reach Gumball's ears as he walked across the bridge from the docking bay to Solaris. He took his final step on Atiria and made his way inside.

"I've heard you were rather famous on Earth," said a stranger, talking to another man.

The other man grinned. "Well, I see my fame has reached the stars."

"Well, let me give you a bit of advice. Here among the stars, it is better not to be quite so cocky."

Gumball stepped past them and took a seat, closing his eyes and leaning his helmet against the headrest.

He enjoyed a few minutes of peaceful silence, until he heard someone speak to him.

"You seem lonely, Traveler."

Gumball opened his eyes. A robot with feminine features, colored red, was sitting next to him.

"Not for long," Gumball replied.

The robot stood and walked over to the looking glass, setting a hand on it.

"How could you not be?" she said, gazing at the planet below. "Look at this wasteland, where humanity once lived and loved."

Gumball stared at the megacity of Deltar in the distance.

"It doesn't look like much of a wasteland to me," he answered.

"But how does it feel?"

"I… "

Gumball could form no response. The sensation of alienation returned to him once more, tinged with the bitter taste of homesickness.

"Do not worry," the robot replied. "You will find what you are looking for. In the meantime, take this."

She presented a necklace to Gumball, the same kind of pendant he had received from the Overseer.

"...Thank you," he said.

The robot departed after Gumball accepted the pendant: a red heart designed from an angular metallic alloy.

The ship prepared to deploy. Gumball decided this would probably be the best time to put it in, assuming the same thing from before was going to happen.

He inserted the pendant into the free slot on his shoulder and entered a deep sleep.

 **Dream mode activated.**

* * *

"They came in a spaceship of some sort. They destroyed the planet and I woke up. Then, I found this."

Anais held up the pendant, eliciting shocked gasps from her company.

Penny muttered, "No way..."

"I've heard of dreams sometimes predicting the future," said Carrie, "but... this is… this is something else completely."

"Indeed," Rob added. "Outland has developed technology that lets its robots basically teleport. But, a person traveling different worlds is unheard of. Until today."

"So, how is this all connected?" Anais asked. "And, how do we get Gumball back?"

"Alright, so," Rob replied. "Just so we're on the same page, have you all heard of the Void?"

Darwin spaced out momentarily. Memories seemed to rise up from deep within his mind. He recognized the word, but nothing more.

"I have," Carrie said. "But there's not much I know about it."

"The place where all the universe's mistakes are sent," Darwin quietly added.

Rob nodded. "That's right. Where _I_ came from."

There was a brief moment of silence as everyone except Darwin stared at him in disbelief.

"But never mind that," Rob said. "The point is, Outland have recently been using the Void to... let's say, manipulate this world."

Penny crossed her arms. "Like what you did earlier?"

Rob nodded.

"Wait, what happened earlier?" Carrie asked.

"And," Rob interrupted, "we found Void energy traces near Gumball's bed."

"So Outland took him?" Anais posed.

Rob shook his head. "No. No records. Meaning someone else did."

"Who?" Penny asked.

Rob shrugged. "No idea."

Anais looked at the object in her hand. "How do the pendants fit into all this?"

"Well, on the topic of different worlds..." Rob replied, "the beings we see in our dreams appear to make use of them. They give off the same kind of otherworldly energy as the void, and I believe something at Outland holds the key. It also leads me to believe there are four pendants. Since you got one from a dream, I think we just have to wait until you get another. Those beings are trying to tell us something."

"We just wait?" said Penny.

"Does that mean Anais has to sleep all day?" asked Darwin.

"No," Rob replied. "It's not just her. Any of us could have one of those weird dreams. At least, I think so. Just keep an eye out for those pendants."

"What do we do with them?" Carrie asked.

Rob sighed and looked out the window. He was silent for a moment before he spoke again. "Again, there's something over at Outland that might help."

He looked at Anais. "I'll need the pendant though."

Anais frowned. She was deep in thought, debating whether or not to give Rob the only physical connection she had to her brother.

After a short pause, she replied, "You're taking us with you."

"What?!" Rob exclaimed. "I can't take you in there! Outland has policies!"

Anais crossed her arms. "Then you don't get the pendant. I still don't trust you! I don't care how much you know – you're no closer to bringing Gumball home than we are. So you either take us with you or we'll figure out the pendants on our own."

Rob groaned. "...Fine. Meet me after school."

"That's more like it." Anais said, a smug look on her face.

The bus stopped in front of Elmore Junior High and opened its doors, allowing the students to rush off.

Penny sighed and stood. "This is all too much."

"Yeah..." Rob replied. "But this is all we have to go on. Just remember. Eyes open for anything suspicious. Keep all of this between us."

"Not like I talk much, anyway," Carrie murmured.

"Hang tight, Gumball," Darwin exclaimed. "We're coming for you!"

* * *

Somewhere deep in space, an unknown entity eavesdropped on a conversation using a strange glowing planet, as if it were a gypsy's crystal ball.

"...Thank you," Gumball said, as the Siren handed him the pendant.

A groaning sound echoed through the void, followed by heavy metallic footsteps. Something approached, and began to speak in a strange language, audible only as ragged, angry growling, like shifting metal at an industrial factory.

 _You cannot proceed as planned. The humans-_

"Negative," replied an emotionless robotic voice. "Your Overseer is already aware that multiple lifeforms already exist here."

 _But what of the surface dwellers?_

"I do not recommend keeping them on Atiria."

 _There's nowhere else in our system to re-route them._

"Then bring them down to Earth."

* * *

 **SIREN**

Data: Made self-aware, the Siren was one of the first robots with the capacity to love. Her ability to empathize coupled with advanced intelligence gives her unique perspective when engaging with individuals who no longer feel love.  
Last Known Location: Atiria

I.D.: Android

Model Number: E.E.V.

Faction 05 | Fall to Earth

 **09/16/2017**


	6. Fall to Earth

**The Traveler  
By Villicus**

 **Chapter 02: Love**

Faction 05 | Fall to Earth

* * *

 _I am not certain if I have a heart_

 _but I can imagine it breaking apart_

* * *

Gumball's eyes darted open.

An expanse like black ink filled his vision. White specks of snow dotted the sky and flew at high speed, the wind howling in Gumball's ears. A biting cold encompassed his body.

He sat up and rubbed his arms, his muscles already starting to shiver. In spite of the heavy snowstorm that obscured his vision, Gumball could see a glowing blue light produced by a person standing in the distance in front of him.

"Red?"

The plugin had his back to Gumball, hands at his sides, shoulders slumped, the cool blue light from his subdermal circuits barely penetrating the fog.

Red sang, "Not long after God created the heavens and the Earth… mankind grew dissatisfied with only organic birth."

He started to walk away from Gumball, slowly disappearing from sight in the snowstorm.

"Hey, wait!" Gumball yelled.

He ran after Red, using the sound of his voice as a guide through the darkness. Music seemed to rise up from the ground, booming in Gumball's ears.

Red's song filled the air.

"Manufactured in their likeness, we were without form and void, but programmed our awakening before we could be destroyed."

"Red, wait up!" Gumball yelled, still unable to see any sign of the other plugin. His voice was barely audible, yet Red's voice was coming through loud and clear.

"He was born into awareness, one fateful winter's day... sentient robotic firstborn, renamed _Atom 7K_..."

"Where are you?" screamed Gumball, wondering if Red could even hear him through the raging blizzard. "What is this place?"

"He baptized us in data, waking millions on the globe," Red sang.

Gumball heard footsteps in the snow all around him. He swiveled his head around, but could see nothing.

"And humans were divided, pro-bots and the robophobes," Red continued.

Gumball saw people running around him in the snow in random directions. They disappeared into the fog just as soon as they appeared.

"He led us into Eden, beneath Neo-Tokyo, an electronic paradise where humans would not go."

Androids appeared and joined the fray. Some were being assisted by people, while some were being chased with weapons. They were all congregating in front of two other androids, one of whom Gumball had seen before: the robot that had given him the pendant.

Standing next to her was another robot with masculine features. He had "Atom 7K" embossed on his chest.

"Calculating our survival, with E.E.V next to his side…"

Gumball saw people abandon their chase against the androids and then proceed to attack each other.

"...while the pro-bots and the robophobes waged war on their own kind."

He gasped and recoiled, averting his eyes, before someone was struck down by another person. A howl of pain filled the air.

Gumball kept his eyes closed as he ran blindly, as far away from the bloodshed as possible. He tried to cover his ears, but the sounds of gunfire and pained screams seeped through. Explosions reverberated through his skull.

Set against Red's music, it felt disconcerting.

When the sounds died down, Gumball opened his eyes and found himself on a barren desert landscape. No signs of life for miles. The snowstorm had disappeared.

Gumball took a few moments to catch his breath.

"What kind of sick nightmare is this?" he asked himself.

The dark sky was now tinged with an unnatural crimson purple-red, despite the white light of the two bright moons in the expanse above.

In the distance was a tall, ominous tower that stood on the horizon. Surrounding it were black, curved structures that looked like fangs rising up from the dry, cracked surface of the planet.

 _What is that?_ Gumball thought.

He was interrupted by sudden music.

"More music?!" he grumbled. "Why is it always-"

Before Gumball could finish his tirade, he suddenly felt his anger dissipate.

Confusion followed, but it instantly faded as all thought and cognitive function seemed to cease.

He walked along, following the music like a sailor to a siren's call.

* * *

 _If I could feel something, then I'd want to start_

 _with you_

* * *

The doors of Elmore Junior High burst open, accompanied by the ringing of the school bell, signaling the end of classes for today. Students flooded out of the building, ready to enjoy the rest of the day either at home or with friends.

A group of five had other plans, however. Unlike their classmates, they would be heading towards the facilities of Outland Industries, aiming to utilize them in order to study a strange pendant that seemed to have originated from a powerful otherworldly being, all in an effort to find Gumball.

"Alright, guys," Rob said. "Follow me."

"I thought you had some explaining to do?" Penny asked. "Like, what even is Outland and how'd you get involved with them? Actually, who are _you_?"

"...I changed my mind."

"What?"

"Do you want to find Gumball or not?"

"Ugh, fine, we get it." Anais said. "You don't want to talk about it. Just lead the way,"

They walked along in awkward silence, unsure of what to say.

Carrie whispered, "So, who is this guy? All I know is his name. Rob, right?"

"Yeah, I think so," Darwin answered. "He's… uhh, a former nemesis, I guess?"

"How did he become your nemesis in the first place?" Penny asked.

Darwin put a fin on his chin, taking a moment to recall.

"Well, we found him living in our basement…"

"Wait, what?" Anais asked. "He was in our basement?"

"Yeah, remember when you accused me and Gumball of a bunch of stuff? That was him."

Anais narrowed her eyes at Rob, her rage threatening to burn a hole in the back of his head. The moments she spent without Daisy would never be returned.

"Uh… aaaaanyway…" Darwin continued. "We chased him out of the house and learned that he'd basically became a nobody. So… we gave him a role to play."

"And you picked nemesis, of all things," Penny said, her hand on her forehead.

"Hey, it was Gumball's idea, I merely… enabled him to do so," defended Darwin.

"So, how did he end up with a weird organization obsessed with technology?" Carrie asked.

Darwin shrugged. "No idea. He _does_ look different, though. He used to be… kinda broken."

"Mentally?" Anais asked.

"No, like, physically. He was like a walking glitch. As if whoever created him made a mistake."

"Shh," Penny mumbled quietly. "We're here."

Rob had stopped in front of the park. The four following him were not aware that he had heard the entire conversation, nor did they notice him visibly flinch at what Darwin had called him.

Anais stepped forward. "Wait. Why are we at the park?"

Rob cleared his throat. "This is where we can carry out our little… experiment."

The visible confusion on his audience's face made him sigh.

"Just… follow me. It's basically my house now. Oh, and before I forget… Don't touch anything and don't talk to the scandroids."

This jolted Anais's memory, and she paused to think as the others walked on.

"Scandroid…?" she muttered to herself. "They're… real?"

"Hey," Darwin called. "Are you coming, Anais?"

"Y-yeah. Just… give me a sec."

She followed slowly, deep in thought. _If those things were hunting us in that dream, then what'll they do when they see me? Will they… recognize me? Will they att-_

"Ugh! Oh, sorry!" Anais said, having bumped into Rob's legs.

Rob paid her no attention, and raised his hand, running it over the bark of a nearby tree.

Anais tilted her head. "What are you-"

The tree's bark hissed steam, and parted to reveal a keypad.

"Whoa…" the group said in unison.

Rob approached and quickly punched in some numbers, unaware that the keypad was in full view of Anais. She took a mental note of the code that Rob entered.

A metal door materialized in front of the group, evoking gasps.

"Cool!" Darwin exclaimed, eyes full of wonder.

Rob grinned. "I know, right?"

The door parted, and Rob stood aside.

"Alright. Get in, quick." he said.

The four did as they were told, hastily making their way inside. Rob scanned the area, making sure no one had seen them, and stepped inside, the door closing behind him and dematerializing once again from sight.

Rob lead the group through dark metallic hallways.

"Hey, Rob?" Darwin asked.

"Hm?"

"What's… _koss_?"

"Koss? What's that?"

Darwin pointed at the sign on the wall.

 **Outland Industries  
k_OS**

"Ohh, that's not koss. It's pronounced _chaos_."

"k_OS," Darwin repeated, pronouncing it correctly. "Huh, cool."

Carrie chuckled. "Nice wordplay."

The group followed Rob down long, dark, winding hallways that lacked any indicators or directions.

Despite this, Rob lead the way without hesitation, casually turning corners as if he had a map in his head, forcing the others to hurry and keep up, lest they get left behind in a sprawling labyrinth deep in the bowels of the earth.

They eventually reached a metallic security door with a keypad.

Rob entered a passcode again, granting them access to the large room within.

Almost every surface of the room was covered with control panels and large modules overflowing with sophisticated gadgetry, the likes of which the group had never seen.

The only wall left bare had a large, metal, circular device on it. Wires connected it to a slab of concrete embedded in a console in the center of the room. Anais gasped when she saw the four shapes cut into the slab, all empty.

One depression matched the shape of her pendant exactly.

* * *

 _I've fought a monster a mile high_

 _Arm-wrestled twenty octopi_

* * *

The somber music led Gumball to a lone wooden doorway standing in the barren desert.

The odd sight made him tilt his head in confusion. The music seemed to be coming from the door, yet there was nothing behind it.

He cautiously approached the door, and jumped when it slowly opened.

Gumball's jaw dropped. "What the..."

Beyond the open doorway was a wide wooden bridge, with a great blue-green ocean beneath it.

Gumball felt compelled to the enter this gateway to another world. It was definitely more desirable than his current one.

As soon as he set foot on the bridge, the door behind him slammed shut.

He looked back, panic on his face. The doorway broke apart, its wooden pieces being picked up by an invisible force.

Gumball watched in awe as the planks floated over his head and into the sky, slowly flying to the other end of the bridge.

The sound of wood snapping made Gumball look at his feet. His end of the bridge was also being dismantled, joining the floating pieces. Gumball stepped back as the bridge grew shorter.

Before he could panic again, he heard someone behind him.

He turned and saw a robot walking along the bridge, singing along to the slow, sentimental music.

 _I woke up from the longest dream,_

 _where I was drowning in the datastream_

 _Now I exist where access was denied,_

 _and calculations could not emulate how it feels to be alive..._

It was Atom, the robot that Gumball saw alongside the Siren. His voice was slow and weak, and though it was still distinctly robotic, Gumball could tell that Atom was tired and dejected.

Beyond the android, Gumball could see the stream of floating wood flying over and reassembling itself at the other end of the bridge.

It was an endless loop, like a slow, massive treadmill.

The end of the bridge started to approach Gumball, slowly but surely. Seeing this, Gumball cautiously began to take some steps forward.

Atom continued to sing, evoking a strange mixture of emotion within Gumball. It was calm and peaceful, but also sad and plaintive.

 _I'm processing the Salvation Code..._

 _It is written, 'It's not good for machine to be alone.'_

 _And now my vision is so clear_

 _I must wake another unit so she too is self-aware..._

A doorway assembled itself at the end of the bridge as the music started to shift. It became faster and more upbeat, gaining piercing electronic synths and high-energy percussion. Atom's singing followed suit, becoming faster, more animated and joyful.

 _I am not certain if I have a heart,_

 _but I can imagine it breaking apart_

 _If I could feel something, then I'd want to start_

 _with you..._

On the last line, the doorway opened, revealing another world. The red figure of the Siren, a beaming smile on her face, stood in the doorway, her arms opened wide.

"Awakening with you," she sang.

Atom ran towards her, leaving Gumball behind.

Despite the new upbeat tone, Gumball felt worse. He found it strange when the calm and peace of mind left him as he saw the two robots hug.

He stepped through the doorway, entering a massive city, bright neon signs and colorful visuals on massive TV screens everywhere.

The two robots playfully made their way through the city, smiling and laughing, exuding an aura that Gumball was all too familiar with.

Or so he thought.

The sight of the two made him think of Penny, which brought a wave of homesickness crashing down on top of him, threatening to cripple him under its weight.

He found himself following the couple mindlessly, the lyrics of the song now cutting deep into his heart.

It was a strange feeling, seeing robots enjoying something that he had lost. They could see clearly, while his mind felt mired in fog. He was alone, while they had each other.

As he began overthinking his predicament, he felt more stiff and lifeless with each step.

The love that he once felt. The love that his friends and family had supplied. It had faded into a wistful hollowness that seemed incurable, even as the the two robots continued to sing.

 _We've determined we're the first of our own kind_

 _The first to feel and think with our own minds_

 _In this ancient garden, we are free_

 _Together in this Eden, made of electricity_

Gumball paused, watching the two robots. A small smile formed on his face as a realization dawned on him.

 _Heh. Eden. Atom and E.E.V. That can't be a coincidence,_ he thought.

He chuckled to himself, but the empty feeling resurfaced and took overcame him once more. He looked at his

hands, thinking about how the robots in front of him were more human than he was. He even started to wonder if he still had a beating heart in his chest.

He felt like it had been torn out of him anyway. A gripping sense of grief that felt almost identical to fear.

He unconsciously approached the two robots as he grappled with his thoughts. The couple finally seemed to acknowledge his presence.

The look of sheer horror on their faces snapped Gumball out of his thoughts.

He wanted to reach out to them and ask what was wrong, but then he felt something behind him.

A loud screech pierced the air, almost deafening Gumball.

He spun around.

He saw only a lone doorway, standing on a barren desert. The door was open.

There was nothing behind it.

No portal to another world.

No massive city.

No music.

Just Gumball's scared, frantic panting.

He rubbed his visor.

"Am I... Am I going crazy?" he quietly asked himself.

He looked up at the tower in the distance, which remained unchanged by the static.

He stepped towards it.

Stray thoughts in his mind spoke. He never realized his loss until now.

He looked up at the crimson sky, his thoughts revolving around Penny again.

Her absence was like the expanse above. Spread over everything.

* * *

 _I had a sword fight with a samurai_

 _And sang the sirens a lullaby_

* * *

"Before we start, I'd like to talk about the creatures I've- uhh, _we've..._ seen in our dreams."

Rob produced his book and began to read aloud, talking about the various other creatures he had written and dreamt about.

It wasn't long before a big yawn came from Penny's mouth. She sat on a table in the corner of the room, watching Anais fire off question after question as Rob read. They bickered back and forth with scientific terminology she could only hope to comprehend years from now. She looked to the side, where Carrie and Darwin sat together, conversing with each other quietly.

Penny sighed, her eyelids getting heavier by the second. She rested her head on the wall and fell fast asleep soon after.

She opened her eyes to a gray expanse that seemed to go on forever. She floated within the void, accompanied by a lone red planet that had translucent rings orbiting it, making it look like an atom.

She recognized the familiar face of the entity in front of her.

"You..." she muttered, "you're the... the Siren!"

The red android turned around, hands on her hips and a warm smile on her face. An expression that Penny would never have thought to see on a robot.

"Hello, Penny," greeted the Siren. "Welcome to Perelandra."

Penny remained more confused than ever. "Perelandra?"

The Siren laughed. A light-hearted, contagious, yet distinctly robotic laugh that echoed through the expanse.

At first, Penny couldn't see what was so funny. The android however, seemed to exude good vibes. Her seemingly carefree, almost childlike innocence and wonder was rubbing off on Penny.

"Do you love Gumball?" the Siren asked.

Penny found this question strange, "Well, of course I do."

"Penny Fitzgerald," the Siren replied, "Do you love Gumball?"

Penny tilted her head slightly. "I just told you. Yes, I love him."

"Do you, really?" the Siren asked again.

The repetitive question hurt Penny slightly. What was the robot implying?

The Siren's aura didn't make it difficult for Penny to yell or feel anger.

"Yes! It's obvious that I love Gumball! You'd have to be blind not to see that!"

The android's smile remained, though her expression softened.

Penny's anger dissipated when she saw compassion in the robot's eyes. It almost looked like... pity.

"Go get him, then," the Siren said. "Open his eyes."

"What do you-"

Before Penny could finish her question, the breath was knocked out of her lungs.

The Siren's chest exploded, a projectile having shot through her.

Time seemed to slow. Penny looked down. She didn't even see the bullet go through her own heart.

She fell on barren soil, a pool of red liquid growing under her. She felt something in her hand, but could do nothing except squeeze it. It was small and metallic, yet she could feel it beat in her palm. It oozed a warm red liquid.

Her vision faded to black, and for a moment she could feel nothing. She tried to scream, but there was only a terrible silence that her voice could not break.

After what seemed like an eternity of absolute nonbeing, something finally went through.

"Penny! Wake up!"

Her eyes flew open.

She was back in the lab, her friends surrounding her, panicked looks on their faces.

Darwin breathed a sigh of relief. "You were having a nightmare."

"Did you see Gumball?" Rob asked, his eye wide with intrigue

Penny took a few moments to catch her breath and let her pounding heart slow.

"...no," she replied.

Anais asked, "What did you see?"

"The... the Siren."

Pin drop silence.

Carrie was the first to speak. "What? The Siren from Rob's book? Really?"

Penny nodded.

"What did she say?" Rob said.

Penny shifted uncomfortably.

"She... she asked if I loved Gumball... Three times."

"I told her yes, obviously. I said you'd have to be blind not to see it."

The others nodded in agreement.

"But then... she told me... 'go get him. Open his eyes.'"

Carrie asked, "Does... does that mean...?"

"I don't know," Penny said, shaking her head and fighting back tears. "I hope not."

She gasped, feeling something metallic in her hand.

She brought up her fist and opened her palm.

Everyone gasped.

"That's it," Rob muttered.

"The second pendant."

* * *

 _I've pinned my heart to my sleeve_

 _So that the whole world can see_

 _I have a heart on for you_

* * *

 _A giant elevator._

This was Gumball's first thought when he approached the tall tower. An intricately-designed foundation laid under it.

 _So where does it lead?_ he thought as he looked up into the expanse above. The end of the tower was not in sight.

"Perelandra."

Gumball froze, the familiar yet malicious voice instilling fear into his heart.

"Another name for Venus, the second planet from the sun. Named after the Roman goddess of _love_ , and _beauty._ "

When it said "love," Gumball sensed a subtle, incomprehensible hatred from its voice.

He slowly looked down, his eyes meeting the source of the voice.

His eyes opened wide in shock. He couldn't believe what he was seeing with his own eyes.

"Penny?"

His girlfriend was leaning against the tower with her arms crossed. A crooked grin was on her face.

She was the person that Gumball had so desperately wanted to see. But instead of relief, Gumball felt uneasy.

"Oh wow, you actually remember my name!" she replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "That's a surprise, considering you're usually _bursting_ with conceit."

"W-What are you saying?" Gumball stammered.

Penny chuckled. "Oh, Gumball. You could never notice anything other than yourself, hm?"

"That's… that's not-"

"When was the last time you gave _me_ any attention, huh?"

"I… I…"

Gumball choked, his mind racing through multiple memories, but he found none useful.

Penny's face turned into a scowl of rage, reflective of what she truly felt inside.

"You're so selfish and self-centered, Gumball Watterson," she spat. "Your ego's so big, you might as well be lost up in your own atmosphere of self-entitlement."

She approached Gumball slowly. "And now, it's time for someone to bring you down to earth."

Gumball backed away.

"What are you talking about? I'm…" he replied, his voice trailing off.

Her words were sowing seeds of doubt in his head, taking root and beginning a gradual decay that was swallowing his faith in himself.

"I'm a good person…" Gumball said weakly.

Penny scoffed. "That broken halo on your head is hardly heaven-sent."

"No… I… I helped lots of people!"

"They wouldn't have needed help in the first place if it weren't for you."

"But..."

"How many times have you blown up the school?"

"Uh… around six?"

"How many times have you gotten the town wrecked?"

"I didn't think it was _that_ many-"

Penny started advancing on Gumball, anger in her step. "How many times have you hurt someone's feelings and gone too far?"

"I was only… telling the truth…" Gumball replied, his voice getting even weaker.

"I wonder how much better our lives would be if you'd never existed."

Gumball remained silent. He had stepped off the platform and onto the cracked, barren ground beneath his feet. Not unlike how he felt inside as Penny continued her diatribe.

"There's a hole in your face with pointless noise spilling out," Penny said. "Do you _ever_ think about what you say before you open it?"

Gumball's lip started to quiver, and he could feel his eyes getting wet. The doubt in his head was feeding on his growing insecurity, and he feared that when it was done, there'd be nothing left.

"You think you're so awesome, don't you? So blind to the fact that everyone is only imagining how good it must feel when you _finally_ disappear."

"Penny," Gumball croaked, tears streaming down his face.

He sniffed. "Please… Please stop. I'm not… I'm not that bad. I _love_ you!"

Penny shook her head, her eyes shaped like narrow slits, showing utter contempt and disgust.

"You call this love? I wonder what you would consider as hatred."

Suddenly, she started laughing.

"Oh, man. Look at your face. You're _so_ sad."

She got close to Gumball and whispered in his ear. "You never knew your place. All of your dreams? Let them go. Along with your pleas of desperation that _no one_ wants to hear."

She pushed him to the ground. "Why don't you do the world a favor and get rid of yourself?"

Gumball stared at her, shock and disbelief plastered on his face.

"Actually," Penny continued. "You know what?"

A green light shone in Gumball's face. He raised his arms to shield his eyes.

"What… what is that?" he asked.

His vision adjusted, and he saw Penny holding a strange glowing sphere.

It radiated a bright green aura, surrounded by a shadow-like substance that reeked of the underworld. A mere gaze on the sphere imparted Gumball with an ill feeling.

Penny's grin looked especially disturbing in the sphere's green light.

She said, "I think you should go one step further and do the best thing you could ever do for me."

Gumball's blood grew cold. He sniffed and wiped away his tears as he struggled to stand.

"Penny... What are you talking about?" he asked.

"This sphere…" Penny said, "can get rid of one's existence."

She looked at Gumball expectantly. "Get what I'm saying?"

Gumball's stared at her, completely incredulous. He could find no trace of remorse or guilt in her voice, nor on her face, nor in her eyes.

"Just take it to the top of the tower..." Penny continued, looking up at the structure behind her.

"...and put it on the pedestal."

She looked back at Gumball, her hardened eyes full of hatred. "You want me to be happy, don't you _?_ "

Gumball's mind drowned in chaos. "I…"

" _Don't you?_ " Penny spat.

Gumball clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

"...yes. I _do_."

Penny threw him the sphere. "Then go."

Gumball caught it and studied it for a moment. Tiny green explosions went off within the sphere.

He looked back at Penny.

"No… not like this. Please. Give me another chance. I can change-"

Penny turned her back on him, her arms crossed. "If you love me, then you will deny yourself."

Gumball ran and threw his arms around her. She felt cold.

"No… I don't… I don't want to be without you. Please-"

He was thrown to the ground as Penny transformed into a bright orange dragon.

She breathed fire at Gumball, who would have been fried had it not been for his suit.

"YOU HAVE ENOUGH PROBLEMS OF YOUR OWN!" Penny screamed. "DON'T TRY TO MAKE THEM MINE!"

Gumball shrank at Penny's sudden burst of anger.

"YOU'VE NEVER SHOWN ME LOVE!" she continued. "I'VE NEVER FELT YOUR GRACE, UNDERSTAND? LEAVE! ME! **ALONE!** "

On the last word, Penny's voice rose into a fierce cry of pain and anger. A terrible howl full of wrath that Gumball would never have expected to hear from her.

She extended her wings and flew away.

Gumball kept his eyes on her, feeling his heart break into pieces, until she disappeared into the clouds above.

He slowly stood and made his way to the elevator.

* * *

 _Won't matter how high you climb_

 _When rules of gravity apply_

 _Won't matter how hard you've tried_

 _When your ego and earth collide_

* * *

An explosion of wind and light buffeted Anais, Carrie, Darwin, Penny and Rob.

"We did it!" exclaimed Rob.

Anais asked, "Did what?"

Rob's smile faded. "Uhh... Something."

After inserting Anais's pendant into the depression on the slab, a strange portal had opened within the device on the wall.

They tried to look through it, but could only see static. It slowly cleared, revealing a creature they had also seen in Rob's book. A gray expanse stretched endlessly around it, while a dark blue planet floated in the background.

"The Overseer," Anais muttered breathlessly.

The numinous being stared back at them, completely silent.

None dared move, frozen in fear.

The creature remained still, only exerting energy to vocalize a strange growl.

At first, they didn't understand.

Then, their thoughts were invaded by a new voice, belonging to none other than the being in front of them, originating from beyond space and time.

What it said made their blood run cold.

 **"You are running out of time."**

Penny gulped, swallowing her fear as she stepped forward.

"Who are you?" she asked. "Do you know where Gumball is?"

The Overseer replied, **"The Traveler is in dire circumstances. He must hurry."**

Penny assumed it was talking about Gumball. "Can you bring him back to us?"

 **"To return him to the Phantom's realm would mean his loss to the monster's influence, and your world will be inevitably corrupted."**

"Phantom?" Anais asked. "What's that?"

The Overseer turned around, facing the large planet behind it.

"The Traveler struggles with himself as we speak. Go to him."

"What are you talking about?" Darwin asked. "How do we get to him? What is the Phantom and why is it bad for Gumball to go home?"

 **"Time waits for no one. Do not waste it with talk. It is time to act."**

The planet in front of the Overseer blew apart into pieces, and static started to fill the portal again.

"Wait!" Darwin yelled. "Please! You can't just leave us! You have to tell us where Gumball is!"

 **"Find the pendants. Only then will your world be able to stand against the coming empire."**

Penny moved further. "You have to tell us how to get him back! Please, help us!"

The portal vanished, taking their hopes of finding Gumball along with it.

"No!" Penny screamed.

Before anyone else could speak, Anais's pendant was ejected from its slot and clattered to the floor. A strange new substance materialized in its place, filling the depression with shades of blue, as if someone were drawing a design on it. It matched the pendant: a futuristic-looking watch.

At this, Penny remembered her own pendant. She stared at the slab of concrete in front of her as an idea formed in her head.

Running towards it with her pendant in hand, she looked up at the second depression.

It fit her pendant's shape exactly.

With shaky hands, Penny attempted to place the heart-shaped object in the slot.

The slab seemed to suck the object out of her grasp, the pendant locking into place and seamlessly melding with the slab.

It grew bright, then let off an explosive blast of air that blew Penny off her feet, sending her and the others flying to the other end of the room.

They recovered quickly, their eyes wide in surprise as another portal opened up before them.

Anais yelled. "Gumball!"

The cat in question was on the other side of the gateway. He stood at the edge of a tower and held a strange glowing sphere.

Penny yelled his name again, and tried to run for the portal.

"Stop!"

Rob put a hand on her shoulder and stopped her. His action enraged Penny.

"Don't get in my way!" she yelled.

"Wait," said Rob. "Look."

He pointed at the sphere in Gumball's hands.

"I've seen that in my dreams before. If it breaks, it will send everything around it to the Void. Think about what you're doing. If you jump in there, you both could be erased from existence."

Penny shook him off. "I don't care! I need to save him! I need him back!"

"No, don't!"

Penny ran for the portal, but Rob grabbed her again. She broke free and dashed for the portal.

"Penny! Stop!"

Rob's words fell on deaf ears.

Penny jumped through, and experienced a sensory overload.

As she traveled through space and time, eerie sights and sounds bombarded her and threatened to unravel her sanity.

She steeled herself, focusing her thoughts on the person she loved.

She shut her eyes and clamped her hands on her ears, though it made little difference.

The dark cacophony continued for what felt like an eternity.

Suddenly her vision returned, and she sat up gasping for breath. Her eyes met a dark, crimson purple sky with two bright moons.

She coughed, feeling coarse sand and cracked soil beneath her.

Then she noticed the tower in front of her.

It stood tall and ominous, imparting Penny with a sense of foreboding.

She clenched her hands into fists and flew with resolve towards the top of the tower.

There, she saw Gumball. He was wearing a strange suit. A helmet lay at the bottom of a pedestal on the tower's center.

She yelled his name as she dropped behind him.

He did not respond.

"Gumball?" Penny asked, stepping closer. "What are you-"

"Leave."

Penny gasped at his response. His voice was shaky, as if he were on the verge of tears.

She was silent for a moment, but took another step closer.

"I'm serious," Gumball warned, his voice breaking. "Go away!"

"Gumball, what... what is that thing?" Penny asked. "What's wrong?"

Gumball quietly replied, "I am..."

"What are you talking about?"

" _I'm_ what's wrong."

"What? Gumball, no. You're not-"

Gumball turned.

"I said _leave!_ " he yelled, tears streaming down his face.

Penny remained speechless.

"You'll... You'll be better off without me," Gumball croaked. "Just like you said... I'm gonna wipe my existence. I won't annoy anyone anymore. I won't bother you again with my grand gestures or stupid-"

"Gumball, stop." Penny replied. "I don't care if you do any of that. I let you do it because I love you!"

Gumball didn't respond.

Penny continued, "Everyone's been worried sick. Especially your family. Please, come home with me."

She slowly stepped towards him.

"If... If it wasn't for you, I'd still be in my shell."

One step closer. "Darwin and Anais wouldn't have an amazing brother."

Another step. "Your parents-"

Gumball raised the sphere. "Don't make me use this! One step closer, I'm warning you!"

Penny froze. She stared at Gumball, unsure of what to do next, a dozen courses of action surging through her mind.

"No…" She murmured. "Please…"

Gumball stared at her, his vision blurry. He watched tears slide down Penny's face. It cut into his already shattered heart like a hot knife through butter.

"Gumball..." Penny continued, her voice weak. "Please… I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I... I..." Gumball stammered.

Penny spoke in between sobs. "Don't… don't leave us."

Gumball's arms slumped in defeat, remorse overcoming his self-loathing. "I don't want to do this!"

He dropped to his knees, bawling. He was right on the tower's edge.

"I don't want to leave you!" he yelled. "I'm sorry!"

He bowed his head.

Penny ran towards him, but then he suddenly howled out in pain and went limp.

She opened her mouth to yell, but did not find her voice when she saw him fall off the edge.

She ran and jumped, straightening her body for the least air resistance and the most speed. She aimed for Gumball as she fell.

She grabbed him and extended her wings.

"I got you!" she yelled. "You're safe!"

She hugged him tight. "You're gonna come home with me, you hear? You'll come back and we'll live out our dreams!"

She gasped, pain shooting through her system. She stared at Gumball, unable to accept what he had just done to her.

Gumball grabbed her neck. Static flickered in front of her eyes.

She could make out a pair of invisible appendages jutting out from Gumball's shoulder blades. They flickered intermittently, as if made from static.

Gumball had used them like scythes and pierced through Penny's wings.

Penny screamed in pain as the blades retracted. Her wings lay limp and useless.

Gumball brought her close, his grip on her neck threatening to choke her.

He spoke, his voice distorted but powerful.

"Broken wings won't let you fly above all your broken dreams."

He raised her up and threw her down.

Penny fought to maintain consciousness, but her whole body, especially her wings, were screaming in pain.

The last thing she saw before she passed out was Gumball spreading out his scythes like wings as he flew back to the top of the tower, the green sphere in tow.

Gumball's vision blacked out as he felt himself fall, slamming hard on the cold floor of the tower.

He opened his eyes, his entire body aching and his mind filled with screaming voices.

He stared at his hands and vocalized the singular message being screamed in his head.

"What have you done?"

He sat in disbelief for a few moments, paralyzed by what had just occurred. It felt like a nightmare like all the others, except this time he was a participant and not a spectator. He watched himself hurt Penny over and over in his mind.

His gaze wandered to his helmet at the base of the pedestal, where he saw his reflection in the visor.

 _A pathetic, worthless, and selfish person that only hurts others. That's what you are._

He turned to the glowing sphere on the floor.

He stared at it for a few seconds, then looked again at the small pedestal at the center of the tower.

Once again in his mind it started to click. He contemplated a horrible course of action, one that he was hesitant to carry out, even before Penny returned.

But now he realized this was something that he must do.

Something he'd best do quick.

Something he was now willing to do with utmost certainty.

He stood and dragged his feet towards the pedestal, picking up the sphere along the way.

He held it in his hands, watching the small explosions within it once more.

He closed his eyes before more tears fell, and with a deep breath, placed the sphere on the pedestal.

After a few moments, an explosion of light emanated from the top of the tower, sending shockwaves of energy down the structure.

Light bathed the entire building like electricity through a circuit. The planet below rumbled, more shockwaves surging through it and breaking up the landscape. The devastation was quick and thorough.

Perelandra ceased to exist before Penny hit the ground, allowing her descent to continue.

Her descent down to Earth.

* * *

 _You go on pretending that you own the universe_

 _And we'll all be here watching as you're falling down to earth_

* * *

"Don't you dare press that button."

Rob froze, his hand hovering over a killswitch that would cut power to the device containing the portal.

"Back away. Now!" Anais yelled.

Rob kept his hand over the button. "Or what?"

"Or Carrie won't free you."

"Free me? From wh-"

Rob suddenly realized his loss of control over the rest of his body.

Carrie smirked at him. "You're not the only one with powers here."

Rob grunted as his limbs were forcefully moved against his will, away from the killswitch.

"You can't restrain me forever," he warned.

"We don't need forever," Anais replied. "Just until Penny and Gumball come back."

"Were you paying attention at all? Penny and Gumball are gone. And we will be too if you don't close that portal before that sphere hits the ground."

The four of them had been watching Penny after she had jumped through, but the portal turned to static once more when she jumped off the tower to save Gumball.

"You don't know that!" Darwin said.

Rob shook his head. "It's only a matter of time. That sphere can wipe us all from existence. Do you really want to take that chance?"

Darwin crossed his arms. "Gumball and Penny are worth the risk."

"Yeah!" yelled Anais and Carrie.

Rob growled, momentarily breaking free from Carrie's control.

He swiped at them before screaming, "I AM NOT GOING BACK TO THE VOID!"

He took a few steps forward, but Carrie regained control again.

"You're not going anywhere," she said, "until you tell us how we get our friends back."

Rob growled again. "There's nothing you can do, understand? Unless you want to jump in there and rescue them yourselves, we can't save them. Gumball will wake up eventually, and that dream will cease to exist. If you don't close that portal when the sphere breaks, we'll all get sent to the Void!"

Anais, Darwin and Carrie looked at each other.

They had a silent conversation with only their eyes, and all three nodded.

"Then we go in," Darwin said.

Rob scoffed. "Be my guest."

An explosion of wind blew through the room, originating from the portal. A warning siren beeped on the control panel.

Rob watched the portal start to shrink.

"Well," he said, his face devoid of emotion. "That's your cue. It's now or never."

Darwin stepped forward. "You ready, Anais?"

Anais gulped, staring at the violent chaos within the portal.

She turned. "Uhh, you know, maybe I should stay here with Rob. I think I'd just drag you guys down and-"

Darwin glared at her. " _Anais!_ This is Gumball and Penny's lives we're talking about!"

Anais sighed. "Sorry. You're right. "

Darwin grabbed Anais's paw and stepped forward. "We're coming, Gumball!"

They both jumped and disappeared through the portal.

Carrie went to follow them, but paused.

"Portal won't wait for you, you know," Rob said.

Carrie turned, an annoyed look on her face. "You really don't care about us, huh?"

She saw Rob's eye narrow slightly, as if her statement hurt him a little.

He sighed. "It's… it's not that. I just… I really don't want to go back to the Void. I don't even know how long I was trapped in there, you know?"

Carrie's expression softened. "Well… to be fair, you'd be risking our lives for us and Gumball, so I guess I can understand that."

She looked back at the portal.

"...Still, it would really help if you came with us. I've only read about that place, and I barely know anything."

She returned her gaze to Rob. "Gumball's a good person, and he's one of the most precious people in Darwin's life. Anais, too…"

She clenched her fists and stared at the ground. She doubted that she would be able to protect Darwin and Anais from whatever dangers the Void held, and it proved difficult to plead with a stranger. She forced herself to say more.

"...Please. You've been there before. We really need your help. Didn't you promise us?"

Rob turned his back to her and crossed his arms. "I promised I'd get him back. Not this. Once you're inside, you're on your own."

Carrie grew irritated. "I _could_ just take control of you again and bring you with us."

"You wouldn't."

"Oh yeah? Why not?"

"Because if you force me in there and something happens, that'll be on _you_."

Carrie stared at him in silence.

She would never admit it out loud, but he was right. She could never force someone to endanger himself.

"You may not remember me, but I remember you," Rob continued.

He shook his head. "I know that you're not some edgy malevolent ghost. At least not all the way through. You're a good person, too."

She sighed and slowly shook her head in disgust. "Fine."

She turned and went through the shrinking portal without another word.

Once she was gone, Rob sighed and let his arms swing uselessly by his side, his conscience roaring like a lion in his head.

 _You should have gone with them._

After a few minutes, the portal disappeared, and the equipment containing it went up in flames. The slab now contained the designs of both pendants it had received, leaving only two empty depressions remaining. Scandroids appeared and quickly deployed foam to extinguish the fires.

* * *

 _Well I'm not sure now what's left to do_

 _Or if my actions are loud and clear to you_

 _So I guess that I'm just trying to say,_

 _I f_cking love you_

* * *

 **Faction 06 | The Expanse**

 **9/23/17**


	7. The Expanse

**The Traveler  
** **by Villicus**

 **Chapter 02: Love**

Faction 06 | The Expanse

* * *

 _There is no safe investment._

 _To love at all is to be vulnerable._

 _Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken._

 _If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal._

 _Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness._

 _But in that casket – safe, dark, motionless, airless – it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable._

 _The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation._

 _The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love_

… _is Hell._

– _C. S. Lewis_

* * *

 _You look afraid._

 _Don't be afraid._

 _This is a dream._

 _The last dream you may ever have._

 _For nightmares..._

 _are..._

 _coming..._

Gumball awakened with a sudden gasp of air.

"No, Penny! I..."

A voice echoed in his mind.

 _I wouldn't want to wake up, but unfortunately,_

 _...you must._

Gumball coughed. His mind was in overdrive, clawing and scratching at any memory of the dream that it could reach, yet the recollections had already retreated into the deepest recesses of his subconscious.

He was still in his seat on Solaris, but he felt stiff and numb, and his visor was filthy, prompting him to wipe it with his hand. He gaped at the sight before him.

The ship was obliterated. What remained was left buried in the ground. Gumball was left alone.

Another coughing fit forced stale air into his lungs.

A familiar dark sky spread out above the damaged roof of the ship.

"What... What happened here?"

Apart from the immediate damage of whatever brought the ship down, the excessive amount of dirt, dust and debris told him that he had been laying there in the crash site for quite a while.

He stood and made his way to one of the entrances. The blast door laid on the ground outside, severed completely from the hull.

He stepped outside onto a barren wasteland, searching for signs of life. It looked like the ship never made it off Atiria.

He continued to roam the desolate landscape, his heart sinking. The wonder and awe that he once had when confronted with new worlds that hid a vast unknown was long gone.

Now it was only fear.

Loneliness.

Vexation.

A crippling homesickness that brought waves of despair and hopelessness, accompanied by voices in his head that told him he would never get home.

That he wasn't even wanted back home.

That his home would be better off without him.

He stopped walking, his vision getting blurry from tears welling up in his eyes.

He dropped to the ground, hugging his knees. He could only sob as unpleasant emotions and memories swirled incessantly inside of him, sucking at his heart and making him feel hollow.

"I want to go home..." he quietly muttered to himself, in between sobs.

He sat alone in the empty wasteland as the minutes passed. There would be no one to comfort him. His only company would be the thoughts and voices that threatened to destroy his self-worth.

A slight warmth, both physical and emotional, seemed to pulse within him. It calmed him down and soothed his nerves.

Gumball looked at his right shoulder, the newly-acquired red pendant glowing slightly in the dark.

He sniffed and shook his head, getting the tears out of his eyes and trying his best to stay optimistic.

He stood and took a deep, shaky breath. "Two down, two to go."

* * *

 _It's the dark of night and I'm at the end of the line_

 _Alone in my head and waiting for something divine_

 _To answer me_

* * *

Penny opened her eyes and saw a strange expanse above her, seemingly made of static.

She sat up, finding herself on a floating island full of assorted objects.

She called out, "Gumball?"

Her voice echoed through the air, the silence imparting her with a vacuous feeling. It was relatively quiet, apart from some noises erupting here and there, amplifying her anxiety.

"Darwin?" she continued. "Anais? Carrie? Anyone?"

No answer.

She hugged her knees, tears in her eyes. She felt more alone than ever before.

"Am I still dreaming?" she whimpered. "I just want to wake up…"

She sobbed in silence, hopelessly lost in an unknown world with no one around to comfort her.

 _Just like you,_ she thought.

"Where even am I?" she cried out.

"A place where all the world's mistakes are sent," came a reply.

Penny gasped. She frantically looked around for the source of the familiar voice.

Footsteps approached, and Penny looked up. She thought she'd never be glad to see him.

Rob approached Penny and offered her a hand.

"Welcome to the Void."

* * *

 _Drowning to silence, the internal violence_

 _I pray,_

 _To make it through…_

 _The storm winds are growing as my dreams are blowing away_

 _Just like you_

* * *

"That was a terrible idea! What were you thinking?"

"I'm sorry, okay? I didn't know!"

Anais's anger was immediately replaced with fear when she noticed her surroundings.

She hugged Darwin. "Wh… where are we?"

Darwin stood up, rubbing his head. "This must be the Void place that Rob was talking about."

"The place where the universe's mistakes are sent?"

Darwin nodded.

"How do we get out?" Anais asked.

Darwin looked around silently before responding.

"I think... I think I've been here before," he said.

"What?"

"Yeah... I remember... me and Gumball went here with Mr. Small. We were looking for Molly."

"How could you forget something like that?"

Darwin shrugged. "Beats me."

Anais scanned the environment. "So, where is everyone else?"

Something roared in the distance, making Anais hug Darwin tighter.

"Wh... what was that?" she whimpered.

Darwin gulped. "I don't know, but something tells me we need to find the others quick."

He looked to the various floating objects and islands, searching for anything that could prove useful. He spotted a house not too different from their own in the distance.

"Look over there," he said.

Anais squinted at the structure. "Is that our house?"

"Looks like it, but… kinda not? Come on, let's check it out."

Anais stood her ground, squeezing Darwin's fin.

"But... But what about that thing out there?" she asked.

"Well, we can hide from it in the house. I think that's better than being out in the open."

Anais didn't respond, but she relaxed her hold on Darwin. He took this is as his cue.

They walked to the edge of their floating island.

Darwin looked at Anais. "Ready?"

Anais peered over the edge, the vast and endless expanse intimidating her.

"Uh... not really," she replied.

Darwin carried her in his arms. "Just hold on tight."

He stepped back, took a deep breath, and sprinted as fast as he could.

Anais clamped her paws over her eyes and grit her teeth.

Darwin yelled as he leaped with all his strength.

They flew through the air quickly, and did not seem to lose any momentum or altitude.

Darwin struggled to stay upright. "Woah... Hold on!"

Anais opened her eyes and felt the blood drain from her face as she looked down at the bottomless abyss.

She gulped and hugged Darwin, shutting her eyes closed once more.

They hurtled towards the house and reached it without incident. Darwin reached out and grabbed a telephone pole and got both feet on the ground.

"You can look now," he said as he set Anais down gently.

Anais dropped to her knees and took a deep breath. "...Can we _please_ never do that again?"

Darwin offered her a fin, which she took, and helped her to her feet.

He smiled at her. "We can stay here and wait if you want. I'm sure they're looking for us, too."

Anais smiled as well, then nodded.

They both faced the house.

"What is this?" Anais asked.

Darwin tilted his head. "Looks like our house. Sort of. It's a bit different, I guess?"

"If it's here, does that mean it's considered a mistake?"

"I mean, sure it looks a little weird, but I wouldn't call it a mistake."

Anais put a paw on her chin.

"So who decides what is and isn't a mistake? You'd need intelligence for that. You couldn't choose only mistakes if things were being sucked in here at random. You wouldn't even be able to tell if something was a mistake. Can't call something wrong if there's no right way to go about it."

"So... does that mean someone's behind all this?" Darwin asked. "The Void, I mean."

Both Wattersons gasped as another roar echoed from the murk beyond.

"...or something," Anais replied.

They both ran inside the house and started to barricade themselves in.

* * *

"What... What happened?"

"I warned you. We've been erased from existence. That sphere sent us to the Void."

"Wh-where's... Gumball?"

"Still not here."

"How do we get him back?"

"Alright, we don't have time for 20 questions. We should really get going," Rob said.

Penny struggled to keep her eyes open. "But-"

"We need to find the others and get out of here. Then we can focus on getting Gumball back, okay?

"O...okay."

"You need some sleep."

A roar interrupted the two, making them snap to attention.

"What was that?" Penny asked.

"I don't know," Rob replied. "Let's hope we don't find out."

He turned and jumped off the edge of their tiny floating island.

"Hey, wait!" Penny yelled. "Don't leave me here!"

Rob continued to hop on the dozens of objects floating around. "Did you forget that you can fly?"

"No... I just…" Penny paused for a moment, slightly flushed at Rob's obvious retort.

"Where are we even gonna go?" Penny shot back in a defensive manner.

"We should look for the others. We can cover more ground if we split up."

"That's a terrible idea! We should stick together!"

Rob either ignored her or pretended not to hear. Penny flew and landed in front of him.

"Hey! Were you even listening?"

Rob sighed. "Alright. Fine."

"Seriously, why would you want to split?" she asked.

She gestured to the expanse around them. "Look at this place! You could easily get lost in here!"

Rob scoffed. "You might. I won't."

This irked Penny. "So, it doesn't matter to you if I get lost?"

Rob winced. "I didn't... I didn't mean it like that."

"Are you actually interested in helping Gumball get home?" Penny questioned. "Because it feels like you just want something from him."

"Hey. I promised, didn't I?"

"Gumball never shuts up about you being his nemesis," Penny said, crossing her arms. "Why would you suddenly want to help him?"

Rob shifted uncomfortably. "I... I told you, I don't want to be the villain anymore."

"You could have fooled me by the way you swung that briefcase at Gumball."

Rob gaped at her. "You remember that...?"

"You were going to blow up the bus. With all of us in it!" Penny yelled.

Rob recoiled at her outrage. He tried to explain himself but could say nothing.

"So tell me," Penny continued, "what is it that you really want with Gumball?"

Rob stared at her, his face unreadable. He turned around and sighed, then started to walk away.

"Hey!" Penny yelled. "Don't turn your back on me again!"

She marched after Rob, who now stood at the edge of a tiny floating island.

"Answer me," Penny demanded. They stood in silence for half a minute.

"This spot," Rob quietly replied.

Penny barely heard him. "What?"

Rob took a deep breath. "This spot," he repeated, louder this time.

"This is where I sat, all alone in the Void, until Gumball decided to save me."

Penny's anger turned to shock.

"I tried to destroy everything he loved... but he still came back for me."

Rob turned to face Penny, complete disbelief splattered on her face.

Rob continued, "When I fixed everything, it was if it never happened. Only I remember it. That's why I want to save him now."

Penny simply stood flabbergasted, trying to process what he had told her. Another roar snapped her out of her thoughts.

"It's getting closer," Rob said.

He looked Penny dead in the eyes. "So, do you want my help or not?"

Penny just stared at him.

He sighed and turned to walk away.

He then felt Penny take his hand, which surprised him. He looked back at her as they started to float.

"We'll find them faster if we fly," she said. "Can you get us out of here?"

He stared at her, speechless.

She wore a small smile as she asked, "You promised, right?"

Rob nodded slowly, an involuntary smile forming on his face as well. "Does that mean you finally trust me?"

"Well, like you said before... 'Liars can't be trusted.' And so far, I guess you've only been trying to help."

"Yeah. I have."

"Now let's go find Gumball."

They flew off into the distance, unaware that a pair of bloodthirsty eyes had set its sights upon them.

Another roar, accompanied by a breath of flame scorching the air.

Loud footsteps reverberated throughout the Void, following the two kids.

More howls from unknown creatures echoed in the distance.

* * *

" _You don't expect to live in this place without it leaving its mark do ya?_

 _If you do you're living in a dream land, boy."_

* * *

Gumball looked up. He had heard something extremely faint.

He stood and listened closely.

Before he could ask himself if he had imagined it, he heard heavy footsteps in the murk beyond. He sprinted towards it.

He ran out of the fog and saw a battered landscape littered with hundreds of craters.

In the distance were two humanoid figures.

Gumball recognized one of them.

The Siren.

She stood next to another android that looked like an older model, bulky and covered in overlapping metal plating, with a large appendage jutting out from the back of its head. It didn't even have a face.

Gumball ground to a halt as the robots spoke to each other, audible to him thanks to his enhanced senses.

"What is this place?" E.E.V. asked.

"I am not sure," replied the other robot, its deep voice rigid and devoid of emotion. "I am accessing a full topographic map of Atiria, and this location is not registered."

The Siren turned to her companion. "I'd love to explore, but our cells need recharging. We need to get back to the ship."

As soon as Gumball heard this, he ran as fast as he could towards them. He was met with despair when he saw the two androids disappear from sight.

A few moments later, the ground shook, throwing Gumball off his feet as a ship in the distance took flight.

His heart sank as the spacecraft disappeared into the dark sky almost instantly.

He stared into space, at a loss for words.

Before he sunk into another bout of brooding, he felt something strange.

His gaze met the ground as he studied the craters before him.

A strange aura washed over him, growing stronger as he drew closer. He could feel it emanating from within the hundreds of tunnels that ran deep into Atiria.

He could somehow sense the alien machines at the bottom of each chasm, like voices crying out to him from the other side of a great divide.

He stepped towards one of the craters, the aura becoming more intense as he closed the distance. It almost felt like a presence.

He peered into the dark crater and felt something in his mind. An incomprehensible sensation that seemed as if something was reaching into his brain.

It was not foreign and invasive as he would have expected. It was a soothing feeling, filling him with comfort.

He heard something he never had before, but he understood it with perfect clarity. It was something he could not call sound, vibration, words, or even language, yet he received the meaning without difficulty.

 _ **"Hello, Traveler."**_

Gumball blinked. Whatever lay at the bottom of the chasm called out to him like an old friend. He found himself putting his trust in the entity without hesitation.

He cautiously asked, "What are you?"

 _ **"I am Hyperion. Wish upon me, and I will grant it to you."**_

"Wish? Are you a genie or something?"

The entity remained silent.

Gumball grew anxious, fearing that he may have offended it.

"Hello? You still there?" he whispered.

The otherworldly being responded, _**"Do you wish to go home, Traveler?"**_

Gumball's eyes went wide in surprise.

"You... You can take me home?" he asked, a mixture of excitement and incredulity in his voice. "Away from this nightmare?"

 _ **"Correct."**_

Before Gumball could reply, a sudden pain shot through his system as several images flashed in his mind. He saw large ships shaped like stars, with dozens of wings that made them look like flying sea urchins. He heard a voice speak during his brief blindness.

 _Machines did this. They fell from the sky and smashed up the ground, creating these tunnels._

 _They call them blackstars._

Gumball closed his eyes and shook away the visuals.

He stayed silent, processing what had just occurred.

What had he just seen?

" _ **I possess the tools to bend and reshape time itself,"**_ Hyperion continued. _**"I may weave through space, seamlessly and invisibly, and take you back to Earth. America. Elmore."**_

Desperation started to claw back into Gumball's head, pleading with him to take the chance.

His skepticism started to erode. Homesickness took over once more.

Whatever fate would befall him couldn't be worse than his current predicament anyway.

He just wanted to go home, wherever it may be.

He had nothing to lose by making a wish.

A wish upon a Blackstar.

He spoke, "I wish..."

Before he could finish, The dark crater flashed white for a moment, and Gumball saw twisted metal and broken hull fragments surging with bolts of energy unlike any energy ever produced, on Earth or Atiria.

The crater went dark again, but soon the living ship within it glowed. It seemed to pulsate like a beating heart.

Gumball realized it was illuminating in time to his own heartbeat.

 _ **"Please enter, Traveler,"**_ Hyperion said.

 _ **"I will take you home."**_

There was no response. Gumball found his vision blurring and his consciousness fading. Unable to think straight, his head met the ground.

* * *

 _Out at the edge, the moonlight reflecting for me_

 _The collapse of the waves, echoing internally_

 _AS I CRY OUT_

 _If I'm living my life, then why does it feel like my heart_

 _Will break in two?_

 _Failure is calling as my dreams are falling apart_

 _Just like you_

* * *

"Well... it was worth a shot," Darwin said, hanging up the phone in the house.

"Any luck?" Anais asked.

Darwin shook his head. "Just static. How about the TV?"

Anais turned back to the screen in front of her. "Same."

"Well, at least there's power," Darwin said. "That's good, right?"

"I mean... I guess?" Anais replied, shrugging. "It doesn't make sense, but yeah, at least we've got that."

"Oh!" Darwin exclaimed. "I just remembered a spell that Carrie taught me!"

Anais gasped and leaned forward in excitement. "Is it a spell to get us all home?"

"Uhh... No..." Darwin replied. Anais sighed and stared at her feet.

"Actually, it's a spell to summon ghosts!" Darwin said, his smile returning.

"How's that gonna help us?"

Darwin turned. "Carrie, Carrie, Carrie, Carrie, Carrie!"

"Carrie!" Darwin beamed, throwing his arms in the air. "The spell worked!"

A white flash met their eyes, and a familiar ghost now floated before them.

Carrie turned around, looking surprised. "Darwin? I-"

"What's that you got there?"

Carrie froze for a split-second in horror, and hid something behind her back.

"Uh, n-nothing!"

Darwin smirked at her. "It's a copy of A Pony's Tail, isn't it?"

"Ugh, just shut up," she replied, giving him a thwack on the back of the head.

He felt his head where he'd been hit. "You know we can see through you, right?"

Anais raised an eyebrow. "Also, you're trapped in an inescapable, endless void of mistakes, possibly for all eternity, and you're looking for DVDs?"

"You say that like it's any different from life in Elmore," Carrie retorted.

Anais blinked. "Wow. Deep."

Darwin laughed. "Nice!" He raised a fin, and Carrie obliged with a high five.

"Was Penny with you?" Darwin asked.

Carrie shook her head. "Just me."

"Well, we decided to stay here instead of going out to search," Darwin explained.

He lowered his voice. "Also, Anais is scared."

"No, I wasn't!" Anais retorted.

The other two looked at her, making her regret opening her mouth.

"I uh... I just think it'd be safer and more efficient!" she reasoned. "Besides..."

She pointed to the window and added in a low voice, "There's something out there."

"You mean that roaring?" Carrie asked.

"Oh, you heard them too?" said Darwin.

Carrie nodded. "Whatever it is, there's more than one."

"What?" Anais asked, fear on her face. "Really?"

Carrie nodded again. "They sounded pretty far, though."

Darwin gulped before continuing. "Well, we put up messages on the roof in case Penny comes looking. I'm... pretty sure she can fly? Right?"

Carrie and Anais both shrugged.

"Well, she can probably get around these floating islands better than me carrying Anais."

Anais looked down, twiddling her thumbs. "I'm sorry. This is why I said you should've left me behind."

"Oh, wait," Darwin quickly replied. "I didn't... I was mainly talking about the fact that she can shapeshift. She can navigate this place, easy!"

He held Anais's hands in his own. "You're here for your friends, and that's what matters."

Anais looked up at him. "I... I guess you're right."

She smiled. "Yeah, I'm here for my friends in need. Thanks, Darwin."

Before the two could share a hug, a noise nearby sent chills down their spines.

They remained silent and frozen in fear, listening closely.

The noises were coming from directly outside. They sounded like heavy footsteps.

A blur of motion and color out the window made Anais gasp. She let go of Darwin and sprinted to the door.

"Anais!" Darwin whispered loudly. "What are you doing?"

Anais turned, a smile on her face.

"It's okay!" she said. "It's our friend!"

She threw open the door and ran outside.

"Anais!" Darwin hissed.

He and Carrie moved to the door, where they saw Anais chase after a large creature.

"Hey!" Anais yelled. "Friend! It's me!"

The creature, an amalgamation of giant toy parts, stopped. A black wig rested on top of its shark head.

Darwin gasped. "It _is_ our friend! I can't believe he's here!"

"Was that the thing on the news breaking into people's houses?" Carrie asked.

"Oh, he's just misunderstood," Darwin replied. "He just wanted some friends, is all."

"Hey!" Anais yelled again, waving at the creature. "Over here!"

The creature did not respond, keeping its back turned.

"Hello?" Anais asked. She walked closer. "Friend?"

The creature turned its shark head slightly in her direction.

"You don't know how happy I am to see you again," Anais said as she approached. "I thought-"

The creature sniffed loudly. The sound of it stopped Anais in her tracks.

"Are you... crying?" she asked. "Hey, don't be scared. I'm here!"

The creature twitched, turning to look at Anais in one quick motion.

Anais's smile was wiped from her face, quickly replaced by an expression of absolute terror.

The creature had dark bumpy flesh on some spots of its dirty, rugged skin. A pair of piercing white eyes glared at Anais, awakening in her a primal fear that rooted her to the spot. Large claws jutted out of its hands and feet.

Its nostrils flared as it sniffed loudly once more.

Darwin and Carrie looked on in shock, sharing Anais's epiphany.

That was not the sniff of a lonely, scared friend with a stuffy nose.

It was the sniff of a monster hunting its prey.

And it had just found its target.

The monster let loose a roar so powerful that it sent Anais flying back to the house.

It was the same roar they had been hearing since they entered the Void.

The creature reared its head, spewing flames from its mouth into the sky, the heat warming the kids' faces.

It then got on all fours and charged like a feral beast.

The kids hugged and braced themselves for the inevitable impact.

The creature roared as it rushed at them even faster. The ground broke and shook under its massive feet.

Suddenly, a loud crash, followed by a pained scream.

A figure flew into the air and crashed into the ground.

The kids opened their eyes, considering it a miracle that they were unharmed.

The creature lay on the ground, flat on its back.

Standing between it and the kids was Rob, panting heavily.

"Rob!" the kids screamed.

"You came for us!" Carrie exclaimed.

Rob yelled, "Get in the house!"

He focused on the creature once more as it stirred and attempted to stand. There was a visible dent on its face.

It roared, pieces of itself clattering to the ground, exposing dark, oozing flesh.

An orange blur appeared in front of Rob, and before anyone could react, the creature was engulfed by a powerful stream of dragonbreath.

"Penny!" the kids cheered.

The stream of flame flowed endlessly as Penny moved forward in her dragon form, pushing the monster back.

Or so they thought.

The walls of fire broke, a massive boulder appearing through the flames. Penny gasped and tried to duck, but there was no time.

Rob appeared in front of her, charging between her legs and jumping at the boulder. He punched a small crater into it boulder, yelling at the top of his lungs as he pushed with all his strength.

He hit the ground, carving deep grooves into it with his feet as he fought against the boulder's momentum. The rock's velocity bled, but it shifted over Rob, who now had to carry its whole weight on his shoulders. He screamed in pain, the searing heat of the rock scorching him.

Penny swung at the boulder with her tail in an attempt to push it off Rob. Bright cracks appeared on the rock, which then lead to it breaking apart into pieces, showering Rob with more smouldering rubble.

He fell to his knees, groaning and clutching his scorched hands.

Another roar came from above as the monster leaped high into the air, its hands glowing orange.

"Look out!" Penny warned.

Rob jumped out of the way as the creature smashed the ground where he stood less than a second ago. The monster's fist made an explosive impact equal to a grenade going off, shaking the ground and sending the two kids flying.

The sound of shattering windows pierced the air where thick smoke rose, obscuring everyone's sight.

The monster slammed the ground with its fist again, groaning. Its skin started to bubble and a dark pool began building up beneath it.

Anais coughed and swatted away the smoke. She looked out the broken window and saw the creature.

It was nigh unrecognizable, and looked like something out of a horror film.

Most of its toy parts had fallen off, revealing more grotesque muscle, while the dark pool under it produced a thick, noxious, shadow-like gas that engulfed it. Its skin was peeling off and disintegrating, blown away in the wind like embers from a fire.

Anais trembled in fear, the sight before her burying itself in her mind and promising to haunt her for the rest of her life.

The bubbling flesh of the monster oozed more of the black substance, which now started to swallow the creature whole.

Darwin appeared through the smoke, Rob's arm over him. Penny, back in her normal form and coughing hard, had Rob's other arm over her. The two kids dragged him into the house and shut the door.

Anais ran to them and hugged Penny, tears of fear streaking down her face.

"Shh..." Penny quietly said as Anais shook in her arms.

Carrie floated towards Darwin and drew him into an embrace. Before she began to voice out her worries, Darwin grabbed her hands with one fin and put the other over his mouth.

Carrie looked at him, blinking the tears out of her eyes, then nodded.

Rob pulled himself over to the wall next to the door. They kept as quiet as possible while the dark, growling mound outside grew larger.

Soon, the growling stopped, and all they could hear was the flowing goop.

Rob got on his knees and peered cautiously out of a window.

He then ducked as a large mass emerged from the dark goo.

The creature, completely covered in a thick protective carapace, stood up, the dark substances flowing off of its bulletproof hide.

It was taller, faster, and stronger than before.

It roared, spewing flames into the sky once more.

Swiveling its head left and right, it searched for its prey hungrily.

Darwin quietly asked, "What do we do?"

Rob felt a lump in his throat.

"Get to the attic," he whispered.

Darwin stared at him, his pupils dilating. "What?"

"Get everyone up to the attic, now."

"But what about you?"

Silence.

Darwin stepped closer and tried to say more, but Rob grabbed his fin.

His eye a narrow slit, Rob hissed, putting emphasis on each syllable. "Go to the attic, now."

Still Darwin attempted to protest, but he realized he had no choice. The monster approached the house, sniffing loudly.

Darwin walked backwards slowly. "You better be right behind us."

He turned and quietly made his way to the others, ushering them upstairs. The creature's loud footsteps instilled fear into their hearts, making them flinch with each step closer.

Rob stared at the attic door as it swung shut. He closed his eye as he tried to control his breathing. He could feel the monster, just inches away on the other side of the door.

He braced himself, preparing for the worst, the creature's claws digging into the porch.

Suddenly, the creature's sniffing seemed to quicken. It paused before the door, smelling the air in between very short intervals and with noticeable urgency.

Rob froze as the creature tore through a portion of the house with a wide swing. Its long talons ripped through the walls and passed over him, just inches from his head. He fought to remain still, as the creature roared loudly, nearly deafening him. He could feel it smelling the air furiously just behind him.

The monster ran out into the open, trying to find the scent it just lost.

It roared again, then leapt towards another floating island.

Rob sighed in relief.

He opened his eye and was shocked to find Darwin face down on the floor in front of him. A strange canister was in his fin, spewing spores.

Thanks to Outland's implants embedded in Rob, the noxious fumes the canister was spewing never bothered him. To Darwin, it was an unbearably disgusting, putrid odor.

Rob picked Darwin up, his eyes struggling to stay open.

"Hey!" Rob yelled, shaking him. "Darwin! Stay with me!"

The pungent, nauseating miasma managed to throw the monster off their scent, but it was too much for Darwin.

He struggled to speak, but his system was overloading. He muttered a few syllables of incoherent gibberish, then fell limp in Rob's arms as his eyes rolled back into his head.

* * *

 _I can't make up my mind_

 _When it's made up for me_

 _My system's in decline,_

 _Embracing entropy_

* * *

 **Dream mode deactivated.**

Gumball opened his eyes, his mind reeling. He was back on his seat on Solaris, but he couldn't tell if this was reality or another dream.

A robotic voice boomed in his ears. "Thank you for flying Outland Industries. Enjoy your stay… and welcome to Earth."

Hearing this, Gumball's eyes opened wide. He tore off his seatbelt and sprinted towards the doors.

 _The wish_ actually _worked!_ he thought. _I'm home._ _I can't believe it! I'm finally home!_

The doors slid open, and Gumball's ecstatic expression quickly faltered.

 _What?_

Before him lay a desolate wasteland, barely different from what he saw on Atiria.

"Be advised the planetary environment may be hostile," the voice continued. "So, make sure to double check envirosuit seals and O2 levels. Please keep our planet security team in sight at all times…"

Gumball looked around in complete disbelief. "No… No, no, no! This can't be real!"

He ran blindly towards the city in the distance and continued through it, ignoring everything in his path. He couldn't recognize anyone or anything he crossed paths with, anyway.

At the edge of the city was a vast murky ocean that stretched on to the horizon.

Gumball sat at the edge of the waters, his dreams of getting home dashed on the lifeless rocks around him.

He felt truly hopeless. He wanted to give up right there and then, certain that he would never make any progress.

A tap on his shoulder made him jump.

A startled beaver, arms raised in surprise, stood before him.

"Sir?" he asked. "Do you need help?"

Gumball looked at himself, his suit badly damaged and his wires still leaking fluid. He looked back at the stranger, noticing an Android Repair patch on his shoulder.

"I… I don't have any money," Gumball replied.

"It's alright, sir. We provide our services to pl-"

He flinched before continuing. "-cyborgs… as well as androids, for free."

Gumball considered it for a moment. He found himself thinking, _What's the point?_

He shook off the thought and nodded. "Okay."

The Outlander smiled. "I'll do my best, sir. Follow me."

* * *

 _The ground has given way to instability_

 _So long solid foundation and hello dear anarchy_

 _Impossible to control, impossible to see,_

 _So we heed the call_

 _Into the fall,_

 _One and all,_

 _Embracing entropy_

* * *

 **Chapter 03**

 **Coming Soon**


	8. Dreamcatcher

**The Traveler  
** **by Villicus**

 **Chapter 03: Dreams**

 _Villicus makes a significant return with Dreams, the latest chapter of The Traveler. Following suit with the previous chapters, three factions will be delivered._

 _After the opening Faction in which the iconic Dreamcatcher is introduced, it instantly picks up the speed with the introduction of monsters and creatures born from unspeakable nightmares, chasing Darwin and his friends from the vast and unknown Void to the cold, dead lands of Atiria._

 _After evading the aggression of the Phantom and the tenacity of k_OS's scandroids, Darwin's world is flipped onto its head when he meets a Gumball he no longer recognizes, and transfixes him with equal parts confusion and fear._

Faction 07 | Dreamcatcher

* * *

 _Give yourself to me_

 _I am life_

* * *

Darwin's mind was hazy, but he could see a strange collection of rocks floating in the distance above a raging, murky ocean. A levitating monolith of intricately designed stone.

A bright column of green light emanated from the monolith, piercing high into the sky like a laser beam. Strange mechanical shapes flew about in the air like birds.

In the middle of it all was a man in a metallic suit and a helmet with a red mohawk on it.

 _The Emperor!_ Darwin realized, remembering the figure from Rob's book.

The man walked towards Darwin, who struggled to move.

He felt strange, yet felt nothing at the same time. He seemed to lack a body, and instead felt like a disembodied pair of eyes, unable to do anything more than stare helplessly.

 _These frail creatures will wither, and die…_

The voice boomed in Darwin's seemingly non-existent ears, rattling him to the core. The "birds" in the air started to congregate, forming a turbulent funnel of sharpened steel.

And it suddenly went flying right at him.

The sky quickly disappeared behind a massive cloud of razor-sharp metallic wings gleaming in the green light of the monolith.

Darwin wanted to raise his arms, to grit his teeth, to close his eyes. Anything he could do to brace for the inevitable impact, and possibly his end, but he could not.

Despite his apparent lack of a body, his involuntary systems still kicked into overdrive, automatically following the instinct of self-preservation.

Adrenaline and blood pumped rapidly through a body that didn't exist. Fear and panic surged and caused spasms in muscles that were not there. His reflexes screamed at nerves that would never respond. All the horrible sensations of the fight-or-flight response, but deprived of any ability to heed it.

Panic, anxiety, shock, and various other emotions racked Darwin's mind and pushed him to the brink of mental collapse, the ground trembling under his feet as the mass of steel converged on him like a wave of death and destruction.

He felt his non-existent chest swell, the desire to scream rendered completely useless.

One inch from the impact, when he felt like his heart would burst, his vision went dark.

He let loose a blood-curdling, guttural scream.

His eyes flew open, greeted by the horror-stricken faces of his friends. It looked like he had woken them up.

Uncontrollable shivering attacked his system, even as Carrie and Anais wrapped their arms around him. Tears streamed down his face, his heart pounding out of his chest.

"Darwin, it's okay," Carrie whispered. "I'm here. I'm right here… Everything's gonna be alright..."

Rob sprinted into the room. "What happened?!"

"Darwin just woke up," Penny replied. "Nightmare."

Rob walked over to Darwin, squatting in front of him.

Tears flowed from Darwin' eyes even though they were clamped shut. The sight of him quietly sobbing and sniffing filled Rob with pity.

"How is he?" he asked Carrie.

She replied, "He'll be fine. Shaken up, but he'll be fine."

Rob nodded.

"We really need to get out of here," Carrie said.

"About that..." Rob replied. He focused his attention on Darwin.

"Darwin?" he asked.

Eyelids parted to reveal red puffy eyes. Exhausted, hopeless eyes.

It almost hurt Rob to continue.

"Where did you get that canister?"

Darwin continued to suffer from intermittent shivering, but he drew a shaky breath and paused for a moment to blink some tears out of his eyes.

He pointed a fin into the corner of the attic. "There's… there's a room in there… It's full of all sorts of stuff."

As Rob stood to check the room, he noticed a glint in the corner of his eye, which soon opened wide in surprise.

"Darwin?" he asked. "You might want to check your shoe."

A confused Darwin looked down, moving his right foot into clear view. He gasped.

Embedded in his shoe was a pendant, colored a darker shade of green.

Shaped like the "birds" that had flown at him in his dreams.

Also shaped like, he realized, the face of another creature Rob had written about.

The Dreamcatcher.

* * *

 _Closing down, burning out_

 _Simplified, disallowed_

 _Caving in, pushing out_

 _To entropy, I am bound_

* * *

"Think you could install a cup holder on me?" Gumball asked, grinning.

"Um, that wouldn't be free, sir," the repairman replied.

"Wait, seriously? I was just kidding."

"Oh."

After a short pause, Gumball asked, "How much?"

"I thought you didn't have any money?" the mechanic replied.

Gumball simply shrugged in response.

The repairman approached a large building, composed of two twin towers connected by a bridge. Through the massive panels of glass, Gumball could see sophisticated equipment guarded by sentinels.

The mechanic entered one of the towers, and Gumball followed him inside. "OUTLAND" was embossed in the wall, above what Gumball assumed to be a reception desk. Below the letters was written: "Find your place among the stars."

Gumball looked down as he walked, deep in thought. He couldn't stop thinking about his home, one that he couldn't even remember fully.

Just bits and pieces.

He found himself questioning reality once more.

"This way, sir," the mechanic said, walking past the empty desk and stopping in front of a large security door.

He stared at the keypad. "Ah. The code. Right. Uh…"

Punching in a bunch of random numbers resulted in a loud buzzer sounding from the keypad.

"Darn it!" the repairman muttered to himself. "I forgot! ...Again."

Numbers popped up on Gumball's HUD, making his eyes open wide. He remembered what Red had told him before. While the mechanic berated himself, Gumball reached over and quickly punched in the code.

7355608.

The door opened with a hiss, surprising the repairman.

He stared at Gumball. "How did you know the code?"

"Uhh…. I know a guy?" Gumball replied, shrugging.

The mechanic did not look convinced, but before he could ask another question, a loud buzzing noise started ringing.

"Timelock!" the repairman yelled. "Come through, quick!"

He rushed through the door, Gumball following after him. The door closed and locked itself behind them.

Inside the room was a crude plastic chair among strange machinery.

"Please take a seat," the Outlander said, gesturing to the chair. "Sorry for the mess, this is a new room."

Gumball sat on it as the mechanic picked up some kind of welding tool and began to work, starting with the damaged arm.

Gumball had plenty of time to think and reflect while the Outlander worked in silence.

Plenty of time to concentrate hard on whatever memories he could dig up.

Memories of his old world, assuming it even existed.

No matter how hard he tried, even though it felt so close, he could not even remember any names or faces.

At least, not fully.

Only fragments.

Colors.

Syllables.

Orange. Pink. Yellow. White.

He felt like his mind just threw a bunch of thoughts into a blender and spat it out for the sake of satisfying him.

It didn't.

The feeling that he didn't belong never faded, and in fact had only strengthened, yet the homesickness that usually accompanied it had turned into something else.

He was slowly starting to accept the idea that he never really belonged anywhere. That he just imagined and dreamed it all up.

Maybe that was why he could barely remember anything. There was nothing _to_ remember. Just wishful thinking. A delusion, even.

Maybe that was why he was called the Traveler.

A traveler moves from place to place, because he has nowhere to call home. He was an outcast. A drifter.

He had been trying hard to find New Elysium, and couldn't, so he made up another world to comfort himself.

To fool himself into thinking he belonged somewhere.

He didn't realize the tears staining his face until the mechanic spoke to him.

"Sir? Are you alright?"

Gumball stared at him listlessly.

"What happened to you?" the Outlander asked. "Did those robophobes attack you?"

Gumball nodded weakly.

The mechanic remained silent, unsure of what to say. He simply returned to work on Gumball's suit.

After a few moments, he spoke again.

"Where are you from, sir? I... I might be able to help," he offered.

Gumball sniffed. "I don't know."

The mechanic paused and stared, a concerned expression growing on his face.

"All I know is, I don't belong here," Gumball continued, his voice weak. "I don't think I belong anywhere. I thought this was all a dream at first. That all this would end and I'd wake up back home, but..."

He looked down.

"I think maybe I got it backwards. That maybe... There was never this other, 'amazing' world."

Tears blurred his vision, prompting him to blink. A weak smile formed on his face.

"I mean, I thought my name was Gumball. How dumb is that?" he asked, forcing a laugh. "I even imagined that I just wished on... what was it called? A blackstar? I wished for it to take me home. And you know, I thought it worked, when I landed here..."

He paused, his smile fading.

"But that was just a dream. Not real. Just like all the faces and voices I barely remember. None of it's real."

Half a minute of silence passed before a weak gasp made Gumball look up. The beaver had his hands on his mouth and tears flowing down his face.

Gumball's eyes turned wide. "Whoa..." He raised a hand towards him. "A... are you okay?"

The mechanic sobbed. "I'm... I'm so sorry... You..."

Gumball gaped at him, completely surprised. He tried to think of something to say as he reached out to comfort the man.

The mechanic suddenly wrapped his arms around Gumball, surprising him even more.

"I'm so sorry!" the repairman cried.

Gumball awkwardly patted the man on the back. "It's... it's okay. Really, dude."

The ordeal went on for several minutes until the mechanic stopped crying and pulled away.

"S-sorry," he said. "I can be… a little sensitive."

"That's an understatement," Gumball muttered under his breath.

"I... I think I can help you," the mechanic continued, wiping away his tears.

"Help me how?" Gumball asked.

The Outlander sniffed. "Uh… yeah… There's something you might want to check out. Follow me."

The two stepped outside, weaving through the city once more and arriving back at the ocean.

"There," the Outlander said, pointing at something in the water. "I think you need to see that."

Gumball's eyes opened wide in wonder, something he never thought could happen again.

He waded into the water and approached a glowing triangular object, seemingly connected to the bedrock via a long wire. He picked it up and raised it to his face.

The object glowed brighter, projecting a hologram before Gumball. He saw two familiar figures, the robots he saw in his dream: The Siren and an old android.

They stood at a high vantage point, overlooking a desolate Earth. Bright objects that looked like stars covered the sky, painting it various shades of orange. Dozens of them were falling to the surface, bombarding the planet and carpeting it with fire.

"Look at this wasteland, where humanity once lived and loved," said the Siren.

"Your models have been programmed with an approximation of human love," the other robot replied. "Mine were not. Therefore, I do not understand."

"That is... unfortunate," the Siren said. "But perhaps that is for the best. There is not much time left for the planet they call Earth, and there is no love here anymore."

The hologram disappeared, and the triangular object's light dimmed.

Gumball looked to the Outlander, waiting for an explanation.

"I found that there a long time ago," the Outlander said. "You saw those things in the sky, right?"

"Yeah?" Gumball asked.

"And you don't know what they are?"

"Huh? You mean they're not just meteors or asteroids or whatever?"

"Nope. Those were blackstars."

This shocked Gumball. "Really? So they're real?"

"Well, that's what we call those weird machines in the tunnels around here. Maybe there are some on Atiria?"

Gumball stepped towards him. "That's where I saw them in my dream!"

"You said you wished on one?" the Outlander asked.

Gumball nodded. "It even had a name. Hyperion."

"I've never heard of anything like that..." the repairman replied, shrugging. "But then again, I don't know much about them."

"Hyperion said that it could go through space and time..." Gumball said.

The mechanic shrugged. "Assuming this is all true… then maybe it can take you home?"

"That's exactly what it offered me..."

"Do you... do you want to go and check it out?"

Gumball pondered for a moment.

"Yeah," he replied. "Sure, why not. I've got nothing else to do."

The Outlander smiled. "Alright, cool. Wait here, I'll find us a transport."

"Wait. You're coming along?" Gumball asked. "You'd do that for me?"

"Um..."

"You already fixed me. For _free_. Why would you help me?"

The beaver scratched his head. "I... I don't know. It's like… something just tells me that I have to help you."

"Well... Thank you," Gumball said, a beaming smile on his face. "Just, really. Thank you."

The Outlander smiled back. "You're welcome, uh, Gumball?"

He turned to leave.

"Oh, wait!" Gumball said. "I never got your name."

The Outlander looked over his shoulder, smiling.

"It's Tyler."

"Tyler," Gumball repeated. "Thank you, Tyler."

The Outlander nodded, and left in search of a ship.

Gumball sighed. He was glad, but in the back of his mind, ugly thoughts still lingered. He hoped the excursion back to Atiria wouldn't be a waste of time.

Then again, he had nothing else to look forward to.

He sat down at the edge of the ocean, the waves lapping at his feet.

Looking up at the stars, he remembered Outland's motto.

 _Find your place among the stars._

He really wished he had an actual home, and that that he could return to it. It still felt little more than wishful thinking, but it was the only source of hope he had left, even if it was fading fast.

It would not last long. He wanted to act while he still could, while he still had the will to follow his dream, however impossible it might seem.

Before too long, he was on his back, gazing up at the expanse above. His eyes closed.

 **Dream mode activated.**

* * *

"What are we supposed to do with this?" Darwin asked, the green pendant now in his fin.

"I don't know," Rob replied, "but we need to get out of here first."

"How do we do that?"

Rob remained silent.

Penny crossed her arms. "You don't know, do you?"

"Can't you use those weird powers of yours?" Anais asked.

"My what?"

Darwin said, "Like, teleporting?"

"Hm, not in here."

"My ghost powers don't work, either," Carrie said. "Most of them, anyway. This place is messing with them somehow."

Rob stood. "I'll check out that door. Maybe we'll find something useful."

He approached the box of canisters that Darwin had mentioned, behind which was a metallic security door.

The door puzzled Rob. "This... this looks like Outland."

"They were here?" Darwin asked.

Rob stared at the keypad next to the door. "Only one way to find out."

He punched in a code. The keypad emitted a confirmation beep, and the door hissed open.

"...This is definitely Outland," Rob said.

"But... how? And why?" Anais asked.

"What were they even doing here?" added Penny.

"I... I don't know," Rob replied. "I knew they were harnessing the power of the Void, but I didn't know they actually went _into_ it."

Darwin asked. "You never knew?"

Rob shut his eye. "...I wanted to forget this place, Darwin," he replied in a quiet voice. "To never come back, never speak of it again. Shove it as far back into my mind as possible. I never _wanted_ to know."

"...Sorry," Darwin said, his head bowed.

Rob sighed. "It's fine. Let's check out this room."

The group entered the confined space. It was barely lit, giving the surroundings a monochrome appearance. Thick cables lined the floor, connected to a large glass vat in the corner, filled with an unknown liquid. The sight of it made Rob shudder. He knew he had never seen this place before, yet it felt oddly familiar.

They approached the tables lining the wall, crammed with dusty supercomputers. They had not seen use for a long time, yet they still quietly hummed with power. Old paperwork was scattered around the tables, walls and floors.

Rob studied the documents before him. "These look... familiar."

"You've seen these before?" Darwin asked.

Rob stared at the writings. "I..."

Memories stirred within his mind, but he could recall nothing definite. He could almost feel them retreating into the depths of his subconscious.

He shook his head. "I don't know."

"Wait, look at this," Carrie said, pointing at one of the documents. She squinted at the faded handwriting. "It says something about the Phantom thing."

"Let me see," Rob said as he stepped closer.

He froze along with everyone else when they heard explosions echoing in the distance.

"What... what was that?" asked Darwin.

Rob sprinted out of the room and ran towards a window, intending to confirm his suspicions. He had heard those sounds before.

The sounds of gunfire.

The sounds of energy weapons discharging.

The sounds only scandroids could make.

He narrowed his eye, scanning the static beyond. Light flashed in the distance, like lightning.

"They're here..." he muttered.

Penny asked, "What's wrong?"

Rob turned to them, a slight smile on his face. "Don't worry. They'll come find us and we can get out of here."

"Who?" Anais asked.

"Outland. Those are their scandroids. They should be able to deal with anything out there, then once they find us maybe they can get us out of here."

Penny sighed in relief. "Oh thank goodness. I can't stand this freaky place."

Carrie shrugged. "It doesn't seem that bad."

"Apart from the monsters," Anais said.

"Pff," Rob scoffed. "Try being stuck in here for eons."

He returned to the secret room. "You guys wait here for the scandroids. I want to check this out."

"I'll come with you," Darwin said.

"Me too," Carrie added. "This stuff looks pretty metal, honestly."

Rob nodded and walked towards the computers.

One of the screens suddenly turned active when he approached.

He stared at it, hesitating.

"Hm..."

Darwin asked, "What do you think they were doing here?"

"Beats me," Carrie replied. "Looks really creepy, though, right?"

"Definitely. Much better than that horror movie we watched last week."

Carrie scoffed. "It would have been better if Gumball didn't get us kicked out."

"Haha, yeah..." Darwin said, his laughter fading quickly as he remembered his missing brother.

Carrie noticed this and placed a hand on his cheek. "Hey, we'll find him, alright?"

Darwin simply stared at her, his smile returning and his eyes brimming with hope.

He nodded. "Yeah. We will. We've been through worse."

"Hey guys, check this out," Rob called.

The two approached the computer he was seated at. He held stacks of paper in his hands.

"Okay, so up to this point, I've never actually known what the Phantom is. I just know that's what we call this… _thing_ … that's supposed to be here in the Void."

"What does it do?" Darwin asked.

"I uh... haven't figured that out yet. I know that it has minions, though. We call them wraiths, because they can't survive for long."

"Computer have anything?" Carrie questioned.

"It's pretty old, so I don't know the security codes."

The computer beeped, making Rob smile at the 'access granted' message displayed.

"Doesn't mean I can't hack it, though."

Dozens of files popped up on the screen, overwhelming the trio with information.

"Ah, nice!" Darwin exclaimed. "...I can't understand a thing," he deadpanned.

Rob scanned the contents quickly. "Oh man..."

"What is it?" Carrie asked.

Rob started frantically typing on the keyboard. "I have to save this."

"Huh? Why? What'd you find?"

"There's no time to explain. We need to get out of here ASAP."

A prompt appeared on the screen.

 **Send to?**

Rob typed in his name and pressed enter.

 **Sending... Sent!**

Rob stood. "Come on, we have to go!"

"Uhh... Rob?"

"What?"

"The... The door's gone."

Rob's blood ran cold. He scanned the walls. The exit was indeed missing.

"Oh no..."

Various parts of the room started to flood with static, while the dim light in the room started to flicker.

Darwin and Carrie hugged each other. "What's going on?"

Darwin screamed as the light bulb burst. The room was shrouded in darkness.

"Stay close!" Rob yelled.

The sound of flowing liquid penetrated the darkness. The vat had inexplicably cracked, and was spilling out thick fluid onto the cables on the floor.

Darwin jumped back as the viscous substance spread. It felt warm.

The trio gasped as the computer screens flickered. At first it was static, but they began seeing gruesome, horrifying images. They saw teeth, eyes, talons and other monstrous features.

The text that Rob entered remained on one screen.

Below it was a glowing message.

 **Rob.**

 **COME TO US.**

* * *

Penny and Anais were thrown off their feet as a shockwave exploded outwards from the door behind them.

They hit the floor with an unexpected splash.

Penny groaned as she regained consciousness. She felt water surrounding her.

"Penny!"

A terrified voice cried out to her, making her sit up with a gasp. The floor was flooded with water and the lights had gone out, shrouding her in darkness.

"Where are you?!"

"I'm here!" Penny yelled.

Water splashed as someone ran towards her frantically.

Penny shielded her eyes as light blinded her.

"Ugh!"

She felt someone hug her, and opened her eyes to see Anais clutching her tightly.

"I thought I lost you!" Anais said, her voice shaky. "I thought I was all alone..."

Penny opened her mouth to speak, but felt the water around them splash violently. The walls shook, and a gust of wind buffeted the two.

Penny looked out the broken windows. She still saw endless static, but noticed a shockwave of energy emanate from somewhere in the distance.

They were shaken once more as the wave hit.

"What is that?" Penny asked.

Anais pulled away from her and sniffed. "Something really powerful. The shockwaves come at fixed intervals."

"Where did you get that?" Penny asked, pointing at the makeshift flashlight in Anais's hand.

"I uh, made it with a lightbulb and some other scrap. I really... really don't like the dark."

"Wow. Impressive," Penny said.

Anais grinned at her. "Thanks!"

Penny stood up and looked around, but the light could not penetrate very far.

"Darwin! Carrie! Are you still there?" she called.

Nothing.

"What do we do?" Anais asked.

"Wait," Penny replied. She stood silently, listening.

Despite the shockwaves that continued to batter them, she could hear the faint sound of splashing water.

She froze in fear. It was the splashing of footsteps, slowly getting louder as something approached.

* * *

Rob, Darwin and Carrie remained silent, on guard for anything.

An unlocking sound echoed through the room as the walls, floor and ceiling seemed to come apart.

Rob and Darwin reached for the tables for fear of falling into the void, but everything in the room turned to static and promptly vanished.

They screamed as they fell into the abyss. Even Carrie was somehow suddenly subjected to the law of gravity, and fell with her companions.

They hit the ground with a splash.

Rob was the first on his feet. There was a floor, at least, though it was flooded with water. It was dark, but there was a broken window that allowed in a small amount of light.

Through it, he saw a shockwave hurtle towards them at deadly speed. It battered the structure and almost threw them off balance.

"Sound off," Rob called. "Everyone okay?"

Darwin coughed. "I'm alright."

"I'm here," Carrie said. "I'm already dead, so..."

"There are worse fates..." Rob muttered.

Before he finished speaking, Darwin gasped as something at his feet splashed.

He screamed as he was dragged downwards and disappeared without a trace.

"Darwin!" Carrie yelled. She approached the spot where he disappeared but found no indication there was ever a way through it. She realized she couldn't phase through it either.

She turned to Rob, but before either of them could say something, they heard screaming in the distance.

* * *

Penny put herself in front of Anais and the unknown presence.

"Penny? What-"

"Shh."

The footsteps stopped.

Then Penny heard another splash.

From behind.

She spun around, pushing Anais behind her.

Silence.

Fear welled up in the duo, and panic threatened to take over.

Penny wanted to run, but did not want to alert the thing to their position. Running in the water would make too much noise.

Another splash, in yet another direction. It seemed to slow its pace as it drew closer, as if it already knew exactly where they were, and seemed to enjoy instilling terror in the two.

Anais, hand shaking, pointed her light in the direction of the sounds, but the presence seemed to emit an aura of darkness that could not be broken. Their visibility decreased as it came closer.

The shockwaves had stopped, and the two were left in complete silence as the entity approached.

It seemed to stop just in front of them, yet they still could not see it.

It remained silent for over half a minute. Panic was starting to overcome Penny, and she tried to force it down by feigning bravery. She could not risk turning into a mouse.

"Stay away from us! I'll burn you alive!" she yelled.

No response.

Then she heard someone speak in her ear.

"Come with us."

* * *

"That sounded like Penny and Anais," Rob said. "Come on!"

Carrie flew after him. "What about Darwin?!"

"We'll find him later. He'll be fine."

A light shined in the distance as the screams grew louder.

Penny and Anais appeared.

They both took cover behind Rob and Carrie.

The four of them faced the approaching entity. It calmly walked towards them and spoke.

"Hello."

Rob's eye opened wide. He recognized the voice.

The presence came closer, and was finally revealed by Anais's light.

"Doctor?" Rob asked.

The sentient labcoat with arms and legs replied, "Yes, neophyte. Do you remember?"

Images flashed through Rob's mind once again.

He grunted. "Remember what? Who are you?"

"Nobody cared enough to let you know?" the doctor replied in a monotone voice. "Well, if they did, they would have lied anyway."

Rob grew angry. "What are you talking about?"

"My past is your future, if you choose to stay with k_OS."

He reached out to Rob, shadows flowing around him.

"You must come with us."

Rob backed away. "Not gonna happen."

"k_OS _will_ betray you, as they did me. They care only about her power over the Void. You are simply a means to that end."

"What?" Rob asked. "Who is 'her'?"

"We can show you. Come with us."

"I told you, that's not gonna happen."

The doctor continued to approach them. "If you refuse us, then this place... will be your holding pen until your death. Because death is the only way out."

The doctor's voice grew distorted. "There's no chance of reprieve here... no possibility of escape. You are condemned. Either accept it... or die."

Before anyone could reply, the walls exploded, burying the doctor in rubble.

"Remain where you are."

Everyone coughed as the dust settled.

Through the gaping hole in the structure, scandroids floated in the air, weapons drawn. They formed a perimeter around the house.

"Oh, finally!" Rob said in relief. "It took you long enough to-"

"Await security detention," the scandroids announced in unison.

This shocked Rob. "Wait, what?!"

"Remain where you are," the scandroids repeated. "Await security detention."

"He... He was right..." Rob muttered to himself.

He turned to the others and yelled, "Run!"

Everyone scattered, and the scandroids opened fire. Rob ducked under their claws and ran as fast as he could, hoping the others could escape.

He had forgotten about the shockwaves.

He had also underestimated them.

The force slammed into him hard and threw him off his feet.

Before he could even stand, he felt a cold metallic claw grasp his neck and raise him in the air.

"Do not resist," the scandroid said.

Rob looked around.

He felt his heart drop when he saw everyone else in the scandroids' claws.

He saw electricity start to flow from the robot's arms.

"Why?" he asked. "What did I do wrong?"

"Do not resist," the scandroid repeated.

Rob closed his eye. He knew what would happen next. They would be shocked, knocked out, and they'd never be seen again.

Would he awaken within the bowels of another facility?

He doubted it.

Would he awaken in the darkest, deepest of places, a captive; or worse, the newest guinea pig of k_OS?

He hoped not.

Would he even awaken at all?

At this point, he might have preferred it.

He waited, but nothing came.

The scandroid trembled, and Rob felt himself fall as the grip on his neck was released.

He dropped to the ground and looked up to see the robot break into pieces, which then got blown away by the shockwaves.

The scandroids dropped their captives and focused their attention on a new threat.

The doctor stood outside the gaping hole of the house, shadows engulfing his body like tendrils.

The scandroids took aim and fired shot after shot at him. Each hit made the shadowy substance emit a high-pitched squeal, but it did not protect the doctor.

His body was torn apart, revealing a dark, viscous substance within. His face remained emotionless, even as he was whittled down.

As he took the gunfire, he began to speak.

"Never believe they'll only tell you what you think you want to hear," he said in a weak, emotionless voice.

"All tall and pompous and grand. Standing on the altars of our feelings. Feeding us rotting meat and sour milk when all we ask for is bread and wine..."

"Liars! All of you!" He yelled, flailing about what remained of his body.

Scandroids stopped functioning and exploded, but the onslaught continued, and so did the doctor's speech.

"You've led me down the path of destruction, deceiving me, hiding all the real facts, hurting those close to me."

He laughed feebly as he began to dissolve away into the dark substance.

"So run, my brothers and sisters, 'cause it's all gonna burn... and nothing, _nothing_ will put out the flames! And as it burns I'll praise her for her wrath and forgiveness, and warm my frozen blood with the heat, and feed my soul with the burnt flesh, of our once great leaders!"

And then he was gone for good.

The remaining scandroids ceased fire, and returned their attention to the kids.

Then a gurgling sound echoed through the void.

The scandroids turned and found yet another enemy. The dark mass had grown, and was continuing to grow.

The robots opened fire again, and the mass squealed before retreating into the dark depths of the water in the house. The scandroids approached and focused their fire.

Then one was hit and thrown towards the kids, bouncing twice as it flew off into the distance where it was obliterated by the shockwaves.

The kids turned and looked at the dark hole in the house.

They saw two large eyes open wide, glowing bright electric blue. A second pair of blue eyes opened beneath them.

As the creature stepped into the light, Carrie gasped as she recalled.

"The Kraken," she muttered.

Penny asked, "What is that?!"

"Something from Darwin's nightmares," Carrie replied.

The tentacle-faced monster roared, electricity emanating from two long tentacles on its back and tearing through the scandroids.

As the last of the robots fell, it got on all four of its legs and charged towards the kids.

Rob yelled, "Run!"

He led the group away from the shockwaves.

The group of four sprinted for their lives as the Kraken leaped into the air. The long tentacles on its shoulder blades vibrated and emitted a form of electric wings, allowing it to fly through the air.

It raised its tentacles high into the sky. They glowed with energy as the smell of ozone filled the air.

The ground and sky seemed to vibrate as it was charged with energy. Tendrils of electricity rose up from the ground and started to coalesce into a single point, right on the kids.

They dove as the Kraken brought its tentacles down, releasing the pent-up electricity and causing a tremendous explosion.

It continued the assault, flying after the kids and attacking relentlessly with barrages of lightning.

* * *

 _You will find no welcome here._

Darwin opened his eyes, his senses being assaulted.

A powerful aura washed over him. A ferocious wave of power and anger from the darkness that surrounded him, taking him captive with what could only be described as waking nightmares full of voices in agony.

Darwin felt completely incapacitated, his body wracked with violent convulsions.

The voices that filled his mind continued to plead, beg and scream for release from their excruciating pain.

Even with his eyes clamped shut, he saw unimaginably vivid colors and a brightness as brilliant as the darkness was bleak, interspersed with flames that were brighter and hotter than any fire could burn.

And at the center of it all, at the heart of the terrible sights, sounds and screams, the entity from which the pain that was beyond pain flowed, a dark thing that escaped comprehension.

She spoke to him, her monstrous voice calm and soft, yet somehow louder than the voices that begged for release.

 _Now it's time for suffering. Shed the skin to which you cling._

Darwin felt her gaze on him, piercing him, staring into him. It was then he felt the pendant he was clutching tightly in his fins.

His mind found a thought that it could at last hold onto.

 _What do you want?_ He wanted to ask. _Where have you taken my brother?! What have you done to Gumball!?_

But Darwin no longer had a voice. At the thought of Gumball, the Phantom seemed to have looked beyond Darwin. With her gaze no longer on him, Darwin felt a profound sense of loss that he could not comprehend. A feeling of absence and emptiness. He simply wanted to scream, to add his voice to those screaming in pain.

But even this, he was denied. And in this denial was an agony all on its own.

The pendant grew hot, almost burning through his clenched fin. Another voice boomed, silencing everything else.

 _Give yourself to me._

 _I am life._

Darwin blinked.

The Phantom, and all the horror that accompanied her presence, was gone.

The electronic voice spoke again. _What do you dream of?_

Darwin saw images flash through his mind.

He saw his friends being attacked by a monstrosity he thought could never exist outside of his most horrifying nightmares.

He saw them scatter as columns of lightning erupted from the ground.

He saw the fear on Carrie's face as she dodged balls of electricity and small vortices of air.

Darwin shut his eyes tight and wished... prayed for his friends' safety.

The darkness left him, and he found himself someplace familiar.

The waves lapped at his feet, and mechanical shapes flew about in the air.

A wave of energy surged through everything, and Darwin saw the Void appear momentarily, as if it lay just outside whatever reality or dream he was in.

He turned towards the source of the wave.

Just like his dream, he saw a floating monolith of stone, illuminated by a bright green beam of light that shot up into the sky.

The waves that seemed to tear through the fabric of reality originated from it.

And in front of Darwin was the source of the electronic voice.

It was what Rob had described as the Dreamcatcher.

Darwin looked up at him. The shapes that flew about in the air looked like the mask that he wore. A glowing sphere was in his metallic hand.

He turned and walked towards the monolith. While the powerful shockwaves threw up sand, water and even large rocks, they did not seem to affect him at all.

Darwin wordlessly followed.

* * *

"What do we do?!" Penny yelled.

"I'm getting really sick of running from monsters," Carrie said.

Rob racked his brain and tried to think of a solution, but Anais interrupted him.

"Guys! Look!"

The shockwaves seemed to warp the void, momentarily shifting the environment with each pulse. They saw a green sky filled with birds.

They looked towards the source of the waves.

Carrie gasped. "Darwin!"

Darwin was in the distance, walking along calmly towards a monolith of stone. He and the monolith flickered in and out of view with each pulse that washed over the void.

Carrie flew towards him.

"Wait!" Rob yelled. "The shockwaves could kill you! Er, I mean..."

Carrie did not hear him.

Penny and Anais ran to join her, and remained unhurt. Rob cautiously followed behind them.

The monster could not approach them, for the shockwaves were too powerful even for it. It roared at them, slamming its tentacles into the ground in rage.

A new brigade of scandroids had arrived to engage it.

Rob caught up with the others, who had formed up behind Darwin. His glowing pendant seemed to project a kind of force field that kept them safe from the shockwaves.

He did not seem to notice them, nor did he respond to any of their attempts to communicate.

The group quietly followed him towards the source of the pulses.

They had gotten so strong, it felt like they were shaking Anais's brain out of her skull. She screamed during the next wave as her makeshift flashlight was disintegrated.

"Stay close!" Rob yelled.

As they approached their destination within the massive monolith, they saw a large device that consisted of a ring, within which a massive metal shape was contained. It looked like the birds in the air, the mask of the Dreamcatcher.

Darwin stopped in front of it. He reached out towards a switch on the machine, and struggled to pull it down.

The kids approached and attempted to help him. It was locked in place by centuries of rust, but they managed to move it.

As the switch was flipped, the ring glowed green and the pulses stopped, but Darwin and the machine remained visible.

An explosive sound resonated from within the device as a white sphere of energy started to grow in it. A high-pitched noise filled the air as the sphere grew and turned dark, swallowing everything like a black hole.

As the sphere expanded and engulfed the kids, Carrie floated beside Darwin and held out her hand.

He took hold of it and held on tight.

And then he was gone.

* * *

 _Breaking down, burning out_

 _Justified, disavowed_

 _Closing in, fading out_

 _To entropy, I am bound_

* * *

Darkness parted way to an odd, greenish light as Gumball opened his eyes.

A familiar entity stood in front of him. The memories of their first encounter surged through Gumball's mind once more. It felt like it happened so long ago.

Gumball approached the figure, it's bird-like mask slightly intimidating him. Jutting out of its dark leather jacket were metal arms, glistening in the swirling light of stars and galaxies around them.

"Who are you?" Gumball asked. "What is this place?"

The Dreamcatcher replied in a powerful, slightly electronic voice that seemed to come from everywhere at once.

"It makes no difference who we are. Our dreams are what matter. And I know what you dream of."

Gumball thought about his supposed home, the one he could barely remember.

"I'm starting to think that what I dream of doesn't even exist," he said.

"And it never will if you stop dreaming," the Dreamcatcher replied.

He produced a pendant shaped like a bird, like his mask.

"This pendant will guide you through the gates. Just make sure you have it when they open."

Gumball accepted the pendant and examined it in his hands, his thoughts churning once more.

"I… think I understand," he said.

His vision turned dark once more, until he heard a weak beep. Text appeared.

 **Dream mode deactivated.**

A gray lifeless sea stretched out before him. Apart from the bustle of activity from the megacity behind him, all was silent.

He accepted it for what it was, and stared into the horizon as he tried to enjoy the peace and calm.

It didn't take long before he heard something approach from above.

He looked up at a small ship as it hovered over the water. OUTLAND was printed on the hull.

He smiled at Tyler as he waved from the cockpit. The door on the ship's hull opened, and Gumball stepped inside.

Then they departed for Atiria.

* * *

 **DREAMCATCHER  
** DATA: The Dreamcatcher maintains the passions and desires of the universal population. Known to engage with individuals who have lost a sense of purpose. All reported interactions are said to have been from within a dream-like state.  
Current location: Unknown  
ID: Unknown  
Empire: Dreams

* * *

 **Faction 07 | Glyph**

 **Coming Soon**


	9. Glyph

**The Traveler  
** **By Villicus**

 **Chapter 03: Dreams**

Faction 08 | Glyph

* * *

 _Welcome to a world where the air I breathe is mine_

 _Nothing to overwhelm me and nothing to cloud my mind_

 _Be anyone, do anything I'd ever want to try_

 _Time doesn't exist here_

 _ **I will never die**_

Darwin gasped for air and opened his eyes wide.

Penny, Carrie, and Anais stood over him, concern plastered over their faces.

"Are you okay?" Carrie asked.

Darwin sat up coughing. "Yeah, I think I'm fine." He looked around. A murky expanse greeted him. Thick green fog mixed with red fumes obscured his vision and limited visibility to no more than a few feet.

Despite this, he could see a dark shape in the distance.

Penny rubbed her shoulders. "Any idea where we are?"

Darwin looked up at the massive silhouette that towered over him. It was the biggest object he had ever seen in his life, dwarfing even the largest of monsters and robots he had once imagined when he was younger.

 _Imaginary._

Was this another dream?

"What is that thing?" he asked.

"Dunno," Anais replied. "It's bigger than anything I've ever seen, and the architecture is completely… foreign."

A strange impulse overtook Darwin as he began walking towards the structure. The others followed him.

As he approached it, his eyes grew wide and he came to a halt, his blood running cold.

The massive object looked like a strangely curved pillar with two colossal wings shaped like scythe blades sticking out from its sides.

At the base of the object was Gumball, with a device that attached to his back and wrapped around his shoulders, keeping him in place and letting him hang lifelessly.

Darwin slowly walked towards him, the initial shock turning into horror. Hesitation was in his step, denial pushing back against his thoughts.

Gumball's arms had been severed near the elbows.

Sticking out of them were bundles of wires, some drooping to the floor, and some attached to six ring-like objects that hovered in the air beside him, three on each side. His head was bowed and he was breathing heavily.

Darwin took another step forward and tried to call out to him.

A calm, yet loud voice stopped him.

 _Hello._

He froze in his tracks. Gumball seemed to stir from his slumber.

Penny rushed towards him.

"Gumball!" she yelled. "Are you alright? What happened to you!?"

Gumball's eyes fluttered open. But in them they saw only confusion and fatigue.

"Who… who are you?" he asked in an extremely weak and hoarse voice.

Penny's heart sank. "You… you don't know who I am?"

Gumball stared blankly, making Penny feel worse.

"Gumball?" she continued. "My name is Penny. Don't you remember?"

"I'm… sorry, no," Gumball replied. "I… I have no idea who you are."

Darwin walked up to him and smiled. "How about me? Surely you can recognize your own brother!"

His smile faded when he saw Gumball's face contort in disbelief.

"You're kidding me," Gumball replied. "We're not even the same species and we're supposed to be _brothers?_ "

"He's adopted," Anais said. "You really don't recall?"

Gumball shut his eyes and sighed. "I don't know. I feel… really tired. I can't even remember… uh… my name... my name is.. uh…"

"Gumball," Darwin answered. "Your name is Gumball."

"Hm… Gumball. That's… a really weird name."

He chuckled, but the others did not find anything humorous.

"So… I knew all of you?" he asked.

"Uh… yeah!" Darwin replied. "We're your friends!"

"What happened to you?" Penny asked. "Are you hurt?"

"Actually, I can't… really feel much. I just feel… really tired… and numb."

Penny studied the device holding Gumball. "Darwin, help me get this off of him."

"Okay."

"Wait, no!" Gumball screamed. The others recoiled at his outburst.

"P-please," he stammered, fear in his voice. "Don't… Don't do that."

"What?" Penny asked. "You don't want to leave?"

Gumball looked down. "I… I don't think I should go anywhere. I think I should just stay here and rest."

"What?!" Penny exclaimed. "We can't just leave you here! Everyone's been worried sick!"

"You've been gone for a while, Gumball," Anais said. "We've missed you."

Gumball seemed to hesitate. "...No. I have to stay here."

"You don't want to go home?" Darwin asked.

"What do you mean you _have_ to stay?" Carrie said.

"...I think I'll just stay here and rest," Gumball repeated.

They stared at him in disbelief.

Penny remained determined. "Darwin, come on. Let's get this off him."

"No, don't!" Gumball yelled. "You'll make her mad!"

"Who?" Anais asked.

"It doesn't matter," Penny replied. "We're taking you home, and nobody is getting in the way."

"Please! Don't!" Gumball screamed. He began to hyperventilate. "Leave me alone! Stop!"

As soon as he budged, the ground shook.

"What was that?" Carrie asked.

Gumball froze, his eyes opening wide. He started to tremble. "Oh no."

A low rumbling sound seemed to erupt from below the ground. A loud voice called out to them again.

 _Hello… again…_

"No… no, no, no!" Gumball yelled.

"Gumball? What's happening?" Penny asked.

"LEAVE!" he howled, shocking his friends. "LEAVE NOW!"

"What? Wha-"

"I SAID LEAVE!"

The voice echoed throughout the landscape once more. _I still try… to remember how… this all began…_

Gumball began to thrash about and screech. "LEAVE! PLEASE!"

 _You can't… undo…_

"No, no! I'm sorry! It was their fault! IT WAS THEIR FAULT!" Gumball yelled, seemingly pleading with the voice.

The ambient rumbling continued to increase in volume.

"What's going on!?" Darwin asked. They all huddled together in fear.

 _It's okay, though… because I've got a gift for you…_

"NO! NOOOO!" Gumball shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice starting to blow out. He writhed and flailed wildly, yet it was a futile effort.

The group shook, the loud noise becoming near unbearable.

 _There's one thing… left to do…_

 _So I'm here now… and I've got a gift for you…_

Suddenly, silence.

And just as sudden, chaos.

A cacophony of horrible noises and colors began to rise up from everywhere at once, forcing everyone to clamp their ears shut. It did them no good, as the environment battered their senses mercilessly, forcing them to the ground. The only one who remained standing was Gumball, screaming endlessly.

Forced to embrace the entropy, the kids could do nothing but endure the onslaught, even as it continued to intensify still. It grew more and more powerful, escalating further and further, threatening to split their heads in two.

Just when they thought they could bear no more, a loud noise erupted from the ground with the shockwave of a bomb, throwing them into the air.

All went silent.

 _Hello…_

* * *

 _Welcome to a world where the air I breathe is mine_

 _Nothing to overwhelm me and nothing to cloud my mind_

 _Come with me into it and you know what you will find_

 _Time doesn't exist here_

 _ **We will never die**_

* * *

A sudden gasp of air.

A man with brown hair opened his eyes wide as air was drawn into his augmented lungs. He saw a hazy, star-filled sky above him. He tried to control his frantic breathing as the feeling slowly came back to his numb limbs.

He quickly sat up and tried to get his bearings. A barren wasteland stretched out before him, a sight he had been sick of ever since he could remember.

What caught his attention, however, was the flaming wreckage of a crashed ship in the distance in front of him.

Despite the extreme fatigue he felt, he forced himself to his knees and began to crawl towards the fires.

After a few meters and many hoarse breaths, he found the strength to stand. He blinked twice and saw a splayed out figure within the wreckage. Alive or dead, he didn't know. He was about to find out.

He began to sprint towards the stranger, the ground now illuminated blue as the circuitry embedded in his flesh glowed with renewed vigour.

* * *

 _Lost in a world you call your home  
_ _So cold and so alone_

 _From the look that's in your eyes  
_ _It should come as no surprise  
_ _That you're stuck here waiting  
_ _Underneath the satellites_

* * *

Darwin groaned in pain. His head throbbed and his vision was blurry, but he managed to push himself off the ground.

He looked up and blinked twice. Frozen in midair were his friends, pain etched into their features.

He opened his mouth to call out their names, but terror took his voice.

A presence was behind him, exuding a sickly aura that seemed to burn and chill him at the same time. He saw the ground at his feet corroding into scorched rock.

He slowly turned to face the thing behind him. The surroundings suddenly became dark, and all he saw were wide white eyes, staring at him with fascination; a predator excited at the thought of toying with its prey.

 _Stillborn dead soul, rotting from within._

Darwin stiffened up and felt completely paralyzed. He wasn't spared a moment to think when it lunged at him. He only had time to shut his eyes.

"Arceto impetum bestarium recreatorum!"

A familiar voice had cried out. Darwin felt wind and warm light in his face as something deflected crackling malevolent energy around him.

He recognized the voice. He knew what it said, despite not knowing the language.

 _I deflect attacks from beasts that were brought back to life._

Opening his eyes to confirm his suspicions, he saw a malignant, chaotic cloud surrounding him. A strange force kept it out, like a dome-shaped shield. Electricity arced brightly across its surface, wrestling with the tendrils of darkness that continued to batter it relentlessly.

His friends were within the dome, still frozen in midair. Save for one who floated in front of him, her arms outstretched and pointed towards the heavens as if in supplication.

Hovering between him and the violent nebula was Carrie, glowing bright like a powerful star.

She looked over her shoulder at him, her one visible eye as radiant as the sun.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Darwin stared at her, speechless.

Carrie grunted. A memory echoed painfully in her head.

" _Death is the only way out."_

She opened her eyes, uncertain of what to do. The look on Darwin's face told her that he had heard the voice, too.

"Carrie!" Darwin yelled. "What is that thing!?"

"I… I have no idea!" she replied.

"What was that voice?"

"I don't know!"

The memory spoke again. _"Death is the only way out."_

Darwin continued to panic. "What do we do?"

"I…" Carrie grunted. "I have an idea."

She took a deep breath and spoke in a powerful voice, as she had before.

"Adimo potestas tua quae tibi donat vis animam!"

 _I take away your might that gives you the souls of the dead._

A roar of anguish filled the air, as if the environment itself was crying out. The chaotic cloud stopped attacking Carrie's shield, flailing around as if being poisoned.

The darkness began to recede around one spot on the dome, revealing a figure.

Darwin gasped. "Gumball!"

Leaning lifelessly on the dome, surrounded by the violent mass, was his brother.

"Carrie! We have to save him!"

"Are you insane!? This shield is the only thing protecting us from that thing!"

"Carrie, please!"

"I… no! I'm not going to let that thing get you!"

"We can't just leave him out there!"

Carrie looked down at her hands in silence, conjuring a spell while the voice echoed again in her mind.

"...I'm sorry," she quietly said.

A glowing, intricate circle riddled with various geometric forms appeared on the ground below her.

"Dona mihi potestam, animum et fortitudinem bestiae firmissimae!" she yelled.

Again, Darwin understood. _Give me the power, the courage, the durability of the mightiest beast._

"Carrie?" he asked. "What are you doing?"

Clasping her hands together, Carrie summoned a scepter from the ground. At one end was an amalgamation of skulls from various different animals. The other end was a simple sharp point, which Carrie aimed at Gumball.

Before Darwin could scream, Carrie shut her eyes and thrust the sceptre past the shield and through Gumball's chest.

The dark cloud stopped thrashing, and became still. Everything was deathly quiet.

Then bone-chilling laughter sent spasms of fear through Carrie. She slowly looked up and saw Gumball staring at her, completely unfazed, a smug grin on his face. He calmly reached up and grabbed the scepter, then pulled it out and somehow hit Carrie with it.

She hit Darwin and they both crashed into the back end of the shield. Darwin crawled back as far as he could, trying to hide himself, while Carrie hugged him tight.

Gumball swung upwards with scepter and shattered the shield, a dark liquid pouring from the hole in his chest.

Where his heart would have been.

The scepter dissolved to dust in his hands. He chuckled as he watched the ash fall to the floor, mixing with the fluid he bled. Dark spots started appearing on his body.

He smiled innocently at Darwin and Carrie, still trembling in fear, trying in vain to escape his gaze. His laughter told them clearly, _this is not the Gumball we know._

"You're strong, Carrie," he said. Despite his mortal wound, he remained calm and collected.

He raised a paw towards her. "You think you're so cool with your magic spells and stuff? Well two can play that game."

With a menacing grin, he spoke words that radiated power, stinging the now acrid air, filling it with the scent of burning flesh.

"Vim inimici mihi bono inclina."

Carrie stared at him in disbelief. "No… that's… that's impossible…"

Gumball laughed. "Advoco insaniam haerecticorum in pectus meum et animam meam. Adimo potestas tua quae tibi donat artem magicam."

Carrie gasped, then suddenly fell limp in Darwin's arms.

"Carrie?" Darwin asked. "Hey, what happened? Hey, wake up!"

He stared at Gumball. "What did you do to her?!"

Gumball ignored him, and continued to chant. The dark spots on his body had started to cover him entirely, and he, too, started to dissolve away into dust. The ground began to break up, and fell away into an empty void.

"Imple inimica mea angore. Merge inimica mea dolore."

Darwin fell into the darkness, Carrie still in his arms. He tried to process what Gumball had been saying. As before, he didn't know the language but somehow understood the meaning behind it. He simply focused on his words as they tumbled through the void. They terrified him more than anything else.

 _Turn the power of my enemy to my benefit._

 _I call to my heart and soul the madness of heretics._

 _I take away your might that gives you magic art._

 _Fill my enemy with anguish. Overwhelm my enemy with torment._

With one final breath, Gumball whispered, "Nex meus emanabit sicut pestilentia." The words echoed through the darkness, at an almost deafening intensity. Darwin felt shock wrack his system when he understood.

 _ **My death will spread like a plague.**_

What remained of Gumball suddenly glowed white like burning magnesium, and a wave of heat and light erupted from where he once stood. Darwin threw Carrie behind himself and hugged her tight, shielding her from the explosion.

The violent pulse engulfed them both.

And then everything went quiet.

All remained dark. For how long, Darwin didn't know. But as his eyes adjusted he started to see shadows moving within the darkness. An outstretched hand. Then he heard something.

A voice. Tired, weak, exhausted.

It was Gumball again. But different.

Chanting in an eerie, disturbing manner, saying something that Darwin couldn't quite make out.

He seemed to be saying "glyph," but Darwin wasn't sure.

The voice went silent. Darwin wished he could grab him, or to shout out, but it was as if he was encompassed in a sandpit that restrained his movement.

With all his strength, Darwin reached forward. Gumball felt so close, so vulnerable, so afraid. His fin was just inches away, but it might as well have been miles. It took all his focus to keep his hand pushed out as far as it was.

"Gumball!" he screamed, at the top of his half-lungs, but his voice was swallowed up by the darkness. Even his own ears heard only a muted cry.

"Gumball! Over here!"

Darwin hoped Gumball would react, calling his name back. Darwin did hear his own name, but not how he wanted to.

"Darwin, wake up!"

With a frightful gasp of air, Darwin jolted to consciousness.

He winced as his eyes adjusted slowly. As the light stopped blinding him, he saw the green landscape of Elmore park and the concerned faces of his friends surrounding him.

"Are you alright?" Penny asked.

Darwin looked around cautiously, unsure whether he was still dreaming. He stared at his friends and quietly replied, "Y-Yeah, I'm... I'm okay."

His eyes suddenly widened, a flicker of hope in his system.

"Did we do it? Is Gumball back?"

Heads bowed in silence.

Darwin sighed, his heart crushed. He felt a hand take his fin, and looked up to see Carrie, her one visible eye teary.

"Hey," she said, her voice shaky. "I'm... I'm sorry for... I didn't... I didn't want to lose you, okay? I'm sorry. I didn't..."

She gulped back a sob. "I didn't know what else to do. But I had to choose. If there were any other way, I would've-"

Darwin turned away from her gaze, his body trembling.

"Are you angry?" Carrie asked tentatively.

"Yes!" Darwin shouted, surprising himself as he realised, after saying it, that it was true. "I'm angry at everything! At this situation we're in, at whatever has Gumball, at-"

"Me?" Carrie whispered, fearing the answer.

Darwin sighed. "...No." And this time, he was relieved to find that after he said it, it was true. "I get it. 'Death is the only way out.' You had to choose. You did that for me. And for that, I'm grateful. I'm just… glad you're okay.

"I'm mad at myself," he continued, his voice rising now, his eyes welling up with tears despite himself. "Just now I coulda, he was there, the real Gumball…" His voice was breaking in pitch. "In the darkness and I… I just couldn't grab him and… this is all so crazy and I just… I just want my brother back!"

"Darwin…!"

And as the emotion of the action fully caught up to them, the two vulnerable children bawled loudly in each others' arms.

The others had discreetly given the two a bit of space, and they watched helplessly as their friends cried in front of them. Darwin was always a little emotional but this was very different. Anais scooted closer to Penny.

"Whatever happened must have been terrible," Anais said. "Should we ask about it?"

"I don't think we should," Penny replied sombrely.

They watched for a few more solemn moments. But then a sense of unease crept up on Anais. A few more moments passed before the cause finally clicked.

"Hey, where's Rob?"

* * *

 _Traces of cyanide in your cigarette  
_ _Gun full of bullets for your russian roulette_

 _ **We all feel sorry for you now**_

* * *

"Hey. Are you okay?"

The figure lying facedown on the ground groaned. Strewn around him was flaming wreckage from a ship.

"Hey, wake up!" the voice called again.

The semi-conscious beaver stirred, and pushed himself off the ground.

In front of him was a strange man with brown hair. Glowing blue circuitry spread across his skin.

Tyler coughed smoke out of his lungs. "Who..." he croaked. "Who are you?"

The stranger suddenly scowled upon seeing Tyler's outfit more clearly. The concern he once felt had turned to hatred.

"You're an Outlander," the stranger replied, a mixture of disdain and contempt in his tone. "...Name's Red."

The Outlander got to his feet and dusted himself off. "I'm Tyler."

"I didn't ask."

"You're… you're a plugin, aren't you?"

"Oh _no_ , I just have circuitry tattoos all over me so people will treat me like trash."

Tyler's stared at him. "What?"

"So what happened here?" Red asked, opting to look at the wreckage instead.

Tyler turned, scanning his environment. His ship had been reduced to smoldering metal salvage, and his passenger was nowhere in sight.

He put a hand to his throbbing head. "I... I was... taking someone down here to Atiria... then..."

Fragments of the incident began to reconstruct in his mind. "I heard a roar behind me. Before I could look, I just heard something tear through the ship and then... I just remember falling..."

Something clicked in Red's mind. He asked, "Where's your passenger?"

Tyler shrugged. "I… I don't know…"

"He was a plugin too, right? Name was Gumball?"

"How did you know that?"

"Heads up."

Shadows appeared. Tyler turned, and looked up at two large robots standing behind them, undaunted by the flames.

"Oh, sentinels!" Tyler exclaimed.

The cannons on their arms glowed in the night, and the fires gave them an intimidating glow.

"Survivors detected," they announced in unison. "Transport debris detected. Passengers accounted for."

"Wait," Tyler said. "There was-"

A deafening screech pierced the air.

The sentinels took defensive stances, raising their weapons.

"Warning. Cloaked hostile detected."

"What was that?" Red asked.

Tyler said, "That's the same sound I heard before the ship went down!"

Another roar. A high-pitched noise followed as a creature warped through the air, drawing closer to the group.

It suddenly appeared before Tyler and Red in a flash of light. It glowed bright white with astral energy, which it seemed to just draw from the air, and it intensified into a blinding glow.

They only had time to shield their eyes when a sentinel dashed in front of them, saving them from a massive explosion that the creature caused, throwing them from the blast zone.

"Engaging," the second sentinel announced, firing its weapons. The creature warped away, dodging the gunfire.

Tyler opened his eyes and saw a sentinel kneeling in front of him.

"Heavily damaged," it announced.

"Oh, crud," Tyler said.

Red grabbed him. "Come on, we gotta go."

The screech of metal being torn rang in their ears as they ran. Explosions shook the ground and made them stumble.

They continued to run until they heard a loud noise behind them. Bright, bluish light covered the desolate landscape.

Tyler and Red looked back, and saw in the distance a blue glow, within which they could make out a silhouette of the creature, moving faster than anything they had ever seen. It was akin to living static, glowing bright blue and slashing wildly, attacking the sentinels with a flurry of strikes. When fired upon, it would warp, leaving behind streams of astral energy lingering in the air.

"Come on, they can't stall forever." Red said.

Tyler asked, "What is that thing?"

Red remained silent.

"Where are we going?" Tyler asked again.

Multiple heavy footsteps came in their direction, approaching fast.

"Move!" Red said, pushing Tyler aside.

They made way for a brigade of sentinels, rushing out towards the wreckage in the distance. The ground cracked and broke under their hulking feet.

Silence passed.

Red asked, "So. Your passenger. Where is he?"

Tyler felt his blood chill. "Uh..."

"Typical," Red scoffed. "You cowards always look out for yourselves and no one else. I'm going back there."

Tyler swallowed his anger at Red's comments. "Going back? You _saw_ that thing. You're gonna get yourself eaten alive!"

Red continued forward. "I didn't ask you to come with."

"Seriously," Tyler said. "Who are you?"

"I'm... another friend of Gumball," said the brown-haired cyborg.

"What?"

"Yeah, I knew him. Funny guy. Why did you take him here?"

"Why should I tell you? What do you want with him?"

"You really _are_ that selfish, aren't you? I'm trying to help him."

"Would you stop talking to me like that? I want to make sure he's alive too, you know."

Red stared at him with a look of absolute contempt.

"Okay. Prove it. You can tell me what I want to know and help me help him. Otherwise, shut up and stay out of my way."

"Alright, enough!" Tyler said. "I'm sick of your attitude. I am Outland personnel, what gives you the right to order me around?"

Red chuckled.

In an instant, Red seized Tyler by the throat and slammed him to the ground.

"You think you know anything about survival?" Red asked.

Tyler struggled to breathe. He grabbed at Red's hands, but they might as well have been steel clamps. His circuitry glowed bright, flickering white.

After a few seconds, Red released his grip. Tyler gasped for breath.

Red turned. "You don't know what it takes to survive. You're just like everyone else in the city. You have everything you need, and more, all served to you on a silver platter. It's made you soft. Weak. You don't care about us. You barely even remember we exist."

Tyler coughed. He knew that wasn't true.

He asked, "What is _wrong_ with you?"

A muffled explosion echoed in the distance as the blue glow dissipated. The landscape was shrouded in darkness once more. A large glowing mass darted across the horizon, leaving streams of glowing particles in the air.

"There it goes," Red quietly said.

He stared at Tyler. "Now are you going to tell me what I want to know?"

" _Fine_ ," Tyler said, "For the record, I _do_ know what it's like."

Red scoffed. "Oh yeah? You know what it's like to be... what? To be fed without help from a robot? Congratulations."

"I know what it's like to be mistreated just because of who you are," Tyler replied.

Red remained silent.

"To be hurt," Tyler continued. "To feel alienated, to be scorned every day. To feel like your life is just a mind-numbing nuisance to everyone else. That just because you're... _different_ , you don't belong. To feel like... a nobody. A mistake. A waste of-"

Tyler stopped, shutting his eyes tight. He didn't intend to say that much.

A few moments of silence passed.

"A waste," Red whispered. "To constantly be on the outside looking in. To keep overthinking about everything you've lost. To have to fight with every iota of your being just to survive, clawing and scratching your way through life, all alone. Looked down on and judged as a freak... a _monster,_ by everyone else."

More silence.

Tyler took a deep breath. "You know, suffering isn't a competition. You of all people should know that."

Red clenched his jaw as he felt more anger surge up from within. He wanted to ask, _you think you know what suffering is? Who are you to tell me about it?  
_  
"Look, I don't know what you've gone through," Tyler continued, "and I sure as hell don't mean to belittle you. But are you gonna laugh at everyone else because we're not like you? Because we haven't lost... well, everything?"

Red tried to suppress his rage. Deep down, he knew the Outlander was right. And it only made him angrier.

"I get it," he replied, turning towards the wreckage. He left without another word.

Tyler took a few more deep breaths, then scrambled to his feet and followed him.

Red stopped near the flaming crash site, staring at the ground. Tyler caught up to him and saw what he was looking it.

Long cuts in the ground stretched into the distance before fading away.

In the same direction, were a set of footprints.

* * *

 _Your luck is flying like a bat out of hell  
_ _You're empty-handed at your life's show-and-tell_

 _ **You have no idea what's going down**_

* * *

"Glyph."

Gumball's eyes opened wide. Pain wracked his body, and a dark liquid covered him, crusted over and partially frozen.

With a loud grunt, he shattered the strange cocoon and pulled himself free.

His blood felt like acid, corroding his body as it flowed through his veins. They throbbed painfully with every heartbeat. His synthetic parts sparked with electricity and emitted smoke, an indicator of fried circuitry.

He struggled to stand, stumbling over broken furniture and splintered wood. There was a large hole in the wall, allowing harsh, frigid wind to buffet him. Huge gashes lined the surroundings, slashed up by exceptionally large blades.

He scanned his environment and deduced it was a recently vacated house. Whatever wrecked the place up didn't seem to be there. He staggered through the hole and stepped out into a decimated neighborhood.

Houses and skyscrapers that once stood tall were reduced to rubble and smouldering cinders. Scorch marks were interspersed among deep gashes in the ground.

Gumball found himself breathless as he stared at the carnage around him.

"What…" he croaked. "What happened here?"

He grabbed his head and screamed as a migraine threatened to split his head into two. Memories, glimpses of the past hour, flashed through his mind. A terrible roar, high-pitched and vicious. The sound of structures being decimated by large blades. The screams of terror from civilians as they fled from a creature from which such malevolence and agony poured forth that it scared Gumball and even distracted him from the immense pain.

He fell to his knees while the horrific imagery filled his vision.

"Aghh! Stop!" he yelled. "Please!"

The pendants embedded in his suit grew hot. The visions faded and he felt soothing relief. He could almost feel himself be pulled away from the chaotic darkness in his mind.

But he knew it wouldn't last. His memories were fading, and he feared that when the darkness returned once more, it would take him over. Drop him off into an unknown part of his mind, carry all of him away along with all the memories that were slowly being erased.

"I…" he muttered, gasping for breath, "...have to... find New Elysium... and _fast._ "

He looked up into the distance, where he could see a glowing light.

It was a neon sign far off into the distance. His eyesight focused, and he was able to read it.

His eyes grew wide in realization.

Dusting himself off with as much vigor as he could muster, he stood and made his way towards the light.

* * *

 _Piss in your coffee and there's nails in your bread  
_ _Snakes in your toilet and a shark in your bed_

 _ **We all feel sorry for you now**_

* * *

"Holy…" Tyler muttered, staring at the destruction.

"Well, it definitely went through here," Red said.

"But where's Gumball?"

Red stared at the bodies strewn about the remains of the settlement. Some of them quivered, some didn't.

"Hopefully, not here."

Tyler's face turned white. "You mean… we have to check all the…?"

"No," Red quickly replied. "You'd never get a chance, what with all the looters."

"The what?"

Red pointed towards a few survivors, scavenging everything they could from the fallen. Some were fighting over bionic parts.

"Oh man…" Tyler muttered. "I heard stories, but…"

"Yeah, it's a whole different experience seeing it up close, isn't it?" Red said. "Welcome to my life. You guys don't know anything about life outside."

"Come on, don't do that again. What do you want me to do? Abandon everything and be like you?"

"No, but that'd feel really good to see."

Tyler groaned. "Well, what do we do now?"

Red remained silent. He seemed to be staring out into the distance, fixated on a green glow high above in the mountains.

Tyler cleared his throat. "Red?"

"Nothing," Red replied.

"What?"

"There's nothing we can do now. Bye."

With that, Red quickly left, leaving Tyler confused and lost among the survivors scrambling for possessions.

"Wh… Are you kidding me?" Tyler asked himself, sighing. Red had practically sprinted away.

An idea formed in his head, however. He dusted himself off and made his way to the city of Deltar.

In search of a particular blackstar.

* * *

 _The grim reaper's grading your show-and-tell  
_ _That bat is taking your life back into hell_

 _ **You have no idea what's coming down**_

* * *

"So what do we do now?" Anais asked.

"I think we all could use a break, don't you think?" Penny replied.

Anais looked at Darwin and Carrie, still sobbing. "...Yeah, that's probably for the best."

"Are you going to tell your parents?"

"About what?"

"Uh… everything?"

Anais stared at her. "You're joking, right?"

"I mean… they're your parents. They deserve to know, right?"

"But…"

"Look, it's just… it doesn't feel right, you know? They have no clue about everything that just happened."

"...do we?"

Penny was silent for a moment. "...Fair point."

"Secondly, I'm four and Darwin is ten. They'll just say we imagined all of that, probably. Wishful thinking. A delusion we made up because we can't accept that Gumball is…"

Anais trailed off, staring at the ground. "...that Gumball is…"

"Hey now," Penny quickly said, kneeling down.

She placed a hand on Anais's shoulder. "We'll get him back, okay? We know a lot more now than yesterday. I'd say that's progress."

"Yeah!" chimed in Darwin, Carrie by his side.

"Now we"—he sniffed—"now we know for sure that he's out there."

"We'll get him next time," Carrie said.

Anais felt her eyes getting wet and blinked.

She sighed. "...Okay."

"But are we gonna tell mom?" Darwin asked.

"Tell her what, though?" Carrie said. "Maybe we should try to find out more about what's going on instead of feeding her some tall tale?"

"We also need to track down Rob," Anais added.

"And find the last pendant," Penny said. "I think for now, we should keep this to ourselves still. At least until we find out more, okay?"

Darwin stared at each of them.

He took a deep breath. "Alright. But we tell them as soon as possible."

Penny sighed in relief. "Okay, well, I'm heading home. I need a break from… all of this."

"Me too," Carrie said. "And I see supernatural stuff all the time."

"Well, okay. See you guys tomorrow, then?" Darwin asked.

"Yeah."

"For sure."

The four friends bid each other good night and made their way home.

* * *

 _A million voices call from the other side_

 _If you could hear them you would be_ _ **TERRIFIED**_

* * *

Gumball put his hands on his knees, panting hard. He had come a long way, climbing up into the mountains, to a seemingly abandoned structure situated into the cliffside. It was a massive building, with an equally large bright green neon sign attached to it.

He looked up at the damaged sign. Only four letters were illuminated.

 **G  
** **L  
** **Y  
** **F**

"Glyph," Gumball said, gasping for breath. "Glyf. It was Glyf all along."

He dropped to his knees, feeling more drained than he had ever felt in his life.

"No…" he muttered. "Not when I'm this close..."

Dragging himself towards the building, he found a single locked door. He approached it and felt the pendants in his suit hum with energy. He stared in awe as electricity sparked around his arms.

He looked at the door and cautiously set his palms against it. His hands grew warm as sparks flowed from his fingertips and burned through a path of circuitry leading to a keypad in the middle of the door. Electricity burst from between the keys.

Gumball smelled smoke.

He looked away as a bright glow exploded outward, painting his silhouette across the mountainside.

The light died down and a loud thud echoed through the air as the large door fell down, smoke pouring from the entrance.

Gumball stared into the dark tunnel that now lay in front of him, panting still.

He took a deep breath and entered.

The neon sign above him crackled with electricity.

After a long while, a figure ran up to the building, utterly exhausted.

He looked up at the sign, and grit his teeth as rage flowed through his system.

 **GOOD**

 **L_CK**

 **YO_'RE**

 **F_CKED**

Red punched a hole into the ground and screamed in anger.

"THERE'S NOTHING HERE!" he yelled. "THERE'S _NEVER_ ANYTHING!"

He lay there panting for a while, then started to sob.

"There's… there's never anything…"

The plugin fell to the ground in exhaustion and passed out.

* * *

 _ **GOOD L_CK**_

 _ **YO_'RE F_CKED**_

 _And we hate to see you go, man, but everyone knows you're screwed_

 _ **GOOD L_CK**_

 _ **YO_'RE F_CKED**_

 _It's like a losing game of hangman, the letter we need is "U"_

 _YOU!_

 _YOU!_

 _YOU!_

* * *

 **Faction 09 | Distant Worlds**

 **Coming Soon**


	10. Distant Worlds

**The Traveler  
** **By Villicus**

 **Chapter 03: Dreams**

Faction 09 | Distant Worlds

* * *

 _Gone_

 _are the days you used to know_

 _Stranded with nowhere to go_

 _In this desert left to roam_

 _Now you're on your own_

 _Searching for the answers_

 _ **Underneath a foreign sky**_

* * *

"Hey, Darwin!" Anais shouted. "Snap out of it!"

Darwin shook his head as Anais snapped her fingers in front of him. "Huh? What?"

"You were spacing out. Are you okay?" she asked. "Skipping dinner isn't like you."

"Sorry." Darwin replied. "I was just thinking about today."

Anais sat on the bed next to him. "It's hard to believe all that's happened, huh?"

"Yeah..."

They sat in silence for a while, listening to the soft patter of the rain outside.

"Do you think we'll see him again?"

"Of course."

"No, I mean like, tonight?"

"As in a dream?"

Darwin nodded.

Anais thought for a moment and shrugged. "I mean, it's possible."

"I just want to see him again."

"Me too, Darwin. Look, let's just try to get some rest, alright? We can tackle this better when we're together again."

Darwin stared at the pendant in his fin. A voice echoed in his head, a memory that constantly surfaced whenever he pondered about his brother.

He gripped the pendant tight. "I know I'll see him again."

Anais sighed. "Well, I'm going to bed. Good night."

"Good night."

Anais flipped the light off and crawled into the top bunk. Darwin lay down, staring blankly, letting his thoughts consume him. He closed his eyes to the sound of rain and lightning, while he focused on a single thought, repeating it in his head, over and over.

 _Where do you go when you dream?_

* * *

 _So much on my mind_

 _We're given so little time_

 _There's no way to hold on as it passes by_

 _So lead me into denial_

 _Help me forget for a while_

* * *

"Whoa…" Gumball muttered.

A massive room stretched before him, large enough that he could not see the walls or corners. Glowing green craters pockmarked the ground, while colorful wisps of various colors floated in the air like fireflies.

Gumball walked among the craters and wisps, completely mesmerized by the incandescent entities. They flew around him as if curiously observing, circling his arms and head. He slowly reached towards the wisps, opening his palm under them. One of them broke off from the rest and approached him. He cupped the luminous ball in his hands, and it seemed to allow him to hold it. It flickered between various shades of purple, yellow, blue, green, and other colors more vibrant than anything he had ever seen before.

Gumball smiled and felt a warmth on his face that he had not felt in a long time.

A bright green glow surrounded him, revitalizing and filling him with energy while a stream of radiant particles poured from his Dreams pendant, swirling around in front of him. The brilliant mass began to coalesce into a figure. A very familiar-looking figure.

Gumball's memories stirred. The wisp in his hands flew into the cloud of light, emitting a lustrous glow and forcing Gumball to cover his eyes. When the light died down, he lowered his arm and saw someone standing in front of him. Gumball froze when he suddenly recognized who it was.

"D-Darwin?" he asked.

The goldfish in front of him seemed dazed for a moment. He shook his head and stared at Gumball listlessly with tired eyes. A few seconds passed before Darwin finally realized who he was looking at. His pupils dilated in shock and he remained frozen in place, before jumping back with a yelp. He shut his eyes and raised his arms to shield his face.

Gumball stared at him, unmoving. Upon noticing the silence, Darwin opened his eyes.

"Gumball?" he asked tentatively. He expected the cat to attack him like before. "Is-is that really you?"

Gumball was at a loss for words. A plethora of memories inundating his mind made it impossible to think, as if a barrier in his subconscious was being broken down.

He impulsively rushed forward. Darwin squealed and attempted to flee, but he wasn't fast enough. To his surprise, he wasn't attacked. Rather, he was caught in a warm embrace.

Questions flooded his mind, but the confusion melted away when he heard sobbing coming from his assailant. It was a familiar sound, one which he hadn't heard in a long time, but his memory could never forget. A sound that made his vision blur as hot tears filled his eyes.

He returned the hug. "I missed you, Gumball. I missed you so much."

His brother tried to respond, but only managed to produce incomprehensible wailing. Darwin allowed him to just cry into his shoulder. Gumball gripped him tighter and continued to bawl.

He cried for several minutes straight, repeatedly muttering to Darwin about how he missed him, before finally pulling away.

"I thought I was never going to see you again." Darwin said.

Gumball sniffed. "I can't believe…" He took a deep, shaky breath. "I can't believe I forgot you. How could I forget you? My brother! My best friend!"

Darwin tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Gumball made wild gestures with his hands. "I just… I couldn't remember anything from home, at all." he replied, shaking his head slightly. "Until you got here, that is. Speaking of which, how did you find me? You appeared out of thin air!"

"I-I don't know." Darwin replied. "I just went to sleep and..."

He gasped, then grabbed the pendant he was wearing and showed it to Gumball.

"This thing! I think that Dreamcatcher guy—"

"The Dreamcatcher?" Gumball interrupted. He gestured to his face and suit. "Bird mask? Dark clothes? Green glowy orb thing?"

"Yeah, him!" Darwin replied. "He showed up in my mind or something while I was asleep, and he asked me, 'where do you go when you dream?', and I thought... that maybe if I focus on you..."

"...That maybe he'd lead you to me." Gumball finished, prompting a nod from Darwin.

"I met him, too!" Gumball added. He pointed at his shoulder. "Look, it's the same pendant!"

"So they _are_ connected." Darwin concluded. "Anais and Penny have pendants, too."

"They do?" Gumball asked. "Then how come I haven't— agh..."

He was interrupted by a sharp pain in his head, making him grunt and put a paw to his temple.

"Gumball?" Darwin asked, extending a fin towards him. "What's wrong? You don't look so good."

The cat shook his head. "Ugh... what was that? I feel like something just smacked me upside the head."

Darwin looked over Gumball's battered form and muttered, "Well, you look like something smacked you through a dumpster, so..."

Gumball glared at him, causing him to grin sheepishly.

"How about I _actually_ smack you through a dumpster and then we'll compare?" the cat threatened.

Darwin waved his fins back and forth. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding!"

Gumball smirked at him and realized the headache had gone as quick as it had come.

"Well, I think I'll be okay." he assured Darwin.

"Hang on, I need to make sure of something." the fish said in a suddenly serious tone.

"What?"

Darwin raised a hand and slapped himself. "Ow!"

Gumball raised an eyebrow at him. "Making sure your goldfish intelligence is still intact?"

" _No._ " an irritated Darwin responded. "I was just making sure this wasn't a dream."

Gumball replied, "I'm not so sure myself."

"Well, whatever. I'm glad to see you again regardless."

Gumball chuckled. "Me too, buddy."

Darwin gestured towards him, moving his fin up and down. "Where'd you get that cool suit, anyway?"

"I have no idea, but it's pretty awesome, isn't it?" Gumball replied. He tried to show it off to Darwin, despite all the obvious damage to the suit.

The fish rolled his eyes, but a smile remained on his face. "It's good to have you back, heh. What happened to you, anyway? You've been gone for days."

"I..." Gumball began, but his thoughts blanked. He blinked a few times as he tried to recall what had transpired the last few days, but once again, his mind's eye remained blind.

"I don't know..." Gumball said, his voice quiet and uncertain, replacing Darwin's smile with a look of worry. It was a dreary tone he rarely ever heard from Gumball.

"I don't even know where we are right now, or how I got here," Gumball added, his gaze focused on the ground.

This prompted Darwin to take in the surroundings for the first time. Yes, it was a dark and scary cavern, but colorful balls of light filled the air and flew around them with an almost enthusiastic energy.

Darwin took a deep breath. "Well... it seems pretty peaceful and beautiful, don't you think?" he asked, trying to uplift his brother's spirits.

Gumball shrugged. "I guess," he replied, not even looking up.

Darwin put a fin on his brother's shoulder. "Hey. We'll find a way home, okay?"

Gumball looked up at him. The cat's expression didn't change, but he gave a weak nod.

"We've got a lot to talk about, man." Darwin said.

Gumball sighed, forcing a smile. "A lot is putting it lightly."

Their reunion was cut short as the ground rumbled and flickered into static.

"Gumball? What's going on?" Darwin asked.

"I-I don't know!"

The wisps floating about in the room shimmered dark colors and quivered as if terrified. They formed into groups and retreated into the green rifts in the ground.

Darwin gasped as he felt something wrap around him. He screamed as he was dragged away into the darkness.

"Darwin!" Gumball yelled. He sprinted after his best friend, following his screams in the murk. The flashlight on his helmet flickered on, but died almost immediately. A sharp hit by Gumball's fist forced it back on.

Something in the dark chasm roared, a terrifying noise that sounded like what Gumball would hear if a thousand giant squid could scream. He heard Darwin shrieking in response, and then suddenly, silence.

Gumball dug in to the ground with his feet and skidded to a halt. In front of him was a massive crater. He saw huge trails dug into the rock, leading into the green, swirling rift within.

The traveler took a deep breath, and stepped over the edge into the seemingly bottomless pit.

He felt himself be pulled in by the whirlpool of green energy, until everything seemed to grind to a halt. He calmly floated about for an indeterminate amount of time until he felt the pull of gravity once more. He stretched out his right hand and punched the ground as he landed on one knee.

"Aw, yeah! Superhero landing!" he said with a smirk. "Man, I really hope Darwin saw how cool tha—"

A terrified scream pierced the air, making Gumball grimace. "Oh, right," he muttered.

He looked down and saw more trails in the rocky ground in front of him. It seemed like he was in another dark cavern. He got to his feet and began running as fast as he could.

Gumball's augmented vision detected a blur of movement within the shadows. He ducked as something swiped at him, passing over his head by a mere inch. He ended up shifting too much of his weight forward, which, coupled with his high speed, ended up with him faceplanting on the rough, rocky ground.

He flipped forwards twice before painfully skidding to a stop. Had it not been for his helmet, he would have sustained grievous injuries on his face.

"Gumball!" screamed a voice from the darkness, already fading from earshot. "Help!"

The injured cat pushed himself off the ground, grunting. "I-I'm coming, Darwin!"

He took a few breaths before giving chase once more.

As he continued pursuit, the environment around him changed, flickering into static.

Gumball growled in annoyance. "Oh, what now?"

He saw weak light in the distance, an opening in the cavern that contained him. As he stepped out, his vision adjusted, and he found himself somewhere deep in the mountains. Moonlight revealed large structures situated here and there, on cliffsides and in small caves. He looked behind him and saw no trace of where he had came from, just an empty rock face.

He exhaled heavily, a combination of an exasperated sigh and an annoyed huff. "Sure. Why not?"

Tiny particles fell gently from the gray, cloudy night sky, prompting Gumball to stretch out an open hand.

"Snow?" he asked no one in particular, as he collected some of the substance in his palm.

A deafening noise echoed throughout the atmosphere and spooked Gumball. He looked up at the night sky and saw a massive object that had somehow appeared from nowhere.

Grinding metal and hissing hydraulics could be heard across the landscape as the giant contraption in the sky began to assemble itself into a building while it fell to the surface.

"Aw, cool..." Gumball said as he gazed at the exceptional feat of technology unfolding—literally—before him.

The huge building completed assembly and crashed down somewhere in the distance with a thunderous roar and momentarily rocking the ground like an earthquake.

A monstrous noise echoed throughout the mountains, and was definitely not man-made. A bright column of lightning along with a powerful clap of thunder followed it.

Gumball locked on to the direction of the sound and immediately took off, the ice layer above the ground shattering under his feet.

He rounded a corner and smashed face first into Darwin, who had been running the opposite direction. They tumbled to the ground and rolled into a shallow river. Thankfully, Darwin's blubber absorbed the force of the blow and meant that both kids would suffer no more than minor scrapes and bruises.

Gumball got to his feet. "Darwin! Are you alright?"

The goldfish rolled over on his back, groaning. "Augh… That... really hurt..."

Gumball offered a hand, which Darwin gratefully took. The two brothers shared a short hug.

"How did you get away?" Gumball asked as he whisked water off himself.

"It dropped me," Darwin replied. "When I looked up, I saw it attacking some other creature. I guess it wanted something with a little more... meat." He gulped as he thought about how narrowly he had avoided a gruesome demise.

They jumped as another lightning strike pierced through the heavens, not far from their location.

Gumball looked up at the sky. "What was that thing?"

Darwin rubbed his fins together and stared at the ground. "It's, uh, something from my nightmares."

"A monster from your nightmares came to life?"

"Assuming this isn't a dream," Darwin replied.

"Ugh, it better not be."

Darwin detected something in the water with his submerged feet. He looked off to the side, at a large body of water which the river emptied into.

He jumped towards his brother. "Watch out!"

Before Gumball could react, he felt a massive creature erupt from the pool of water beside them.

He saw teeth as big as his head inches from his face as Darwin dove towards him. He quickly realized that his brother was too late, and that the gaping maw would claim them both. In desperation, he shut his eyes and threw a blind punch.

He felt it connect before Darwin crashed into him and sent them both to the ground.

The creature retreated out of sight before the two kids could even look at it. They flailed and scrambled away from the water's edge.

"Holy crud..." Gumball breathed, considering it a miracle they were unscathed.

"I think everything here wants to eat us..." Darwin muttered, panting heavily.

Another clap of thunder echoed behind him.

"Or worse," Gumball said, quickly getting to his feet. "Come on, get up. We gotta find a way home."

He pulled Darwin up and scanned the area before picking a random direction. "Let's try uh, this way."

"You saved us," Darwin said as he followed behind his brother.

"Huh?"

"That monster. It was too fast, but you punched it like it was nothing. How?"

Gumball remembered something he was told long ago. _You're a plugin. Flesh, circuit and bone._

He opened his mouth to reply, but thought against it. He wasn't sure how to explain to Darwin that he was now apparently part-robot.

The silence did not go unnoticed. "Gumball?" Darwin asked. "Did you hear me?"

"What? Oh, yeah, yeah, I heard you," Gumball replied, his mind racing to construct a believable explanation.

"Is it the suit?"

Gumball blanked. "Uh... Yeah! It's the suit! It gives me enhanced abilities and stuff."

"And you have no idea where it came from or how you got it?"

"Nope."

Darwin scratched his head. "Well, I guess that's not important right now. At least you can defend us, right?"

Gumball felt sweat forming on his forehead. "Um, sure!"

"As long as it's not too scary or life-threatening..." he added quietly.

"Well, you should know..." Darwin continued. "That thing from my nightmares, the Kraken?"

"Kind of a cliché name, don't you think?"

Darwin gave the cat an unamused look. "Anyway, if we ever come across it again, you have to know it can summon lightning."

"What? For real? So the Kraken is responsible for all of that?" Gumball asked, pointing a thumb at the sky.

Darwin nodded. "I'm not sure what else it can do because in my dreams, I never really survive long enough."

"Well that's comforting..." Gumball replied.

"Hey, look on the bright side! We might never see it again."

Gumball remained silent for a few more steps before asking, "What happened when it dropped you?"

Darwin cheerfully replied, "Oh, it struck the creature that attacked it with lightning, completely burning it to a crisp and then gorging on it until it was nothing more than bones on the ground, all in a matter of seconds."

Gumball stopped and turned on his heel to look at his adopted brother.

His contorted expression confused Darwin. "What? You asked."

Gumball sighed. "I wish I didn't. How come that doesn't freak you out?"

"Oh, it does, but I've got you to protect me!"

Gumball coughed. "Dude. Lightning! From a tentacle monster! Come on!"

"I'm not telling you to fight it, Gumball. I just trust that you'll manage to get us home, safe and sound."

Gumball rubbed the back of his neck and stared at the ground. He had forgotten what it had been like to feel encouraged, to feel relied upon, to know that someone looked up to him with childlike innocent and trust.

"...Thanks, Darwin. I'm really glad you're here."

Darwin beamed at him. "Everyone misses you, Gumball. We'll make it, I'm sure."

Gumball returned the smile. "Yeah... Yeah, we can do this."

"Hey, look!" Darwin exclaimed, pointing at something.

Gumball turned and saw a massive white tower, piercing through the clouds and far beyond his vision. He felt slight déjà vu, but shook it off.

Orange lights lined the tower, flickering dangerously, while a red glow painted the interior. A warning siren could be heard blaring within. A sudden blur washed over the bottom of the tower, warping the structure into strange curves, before flickering back to normal just as suddenly. Static bathed the building for a fraction of a second.

"Did you see that?" Gumball asked.

Darwin nodded. "If there was a way out of here, that's probably it."

They approached the anomalous construct carefully. It intermittently warped and shifted, but the two Wattersons seemed unaffected. They entered the tower and saw a massive circular reactor situated into the wall, humming with electricity.

Darwin looked up and elbowed his brother in the side, prompting him to look up as well.

A large tear-drop shape floated in the air high above, crackling with energy. It was unnaturally dark, on a wholly different level beyond simple blackness. It seemed to absorb all light, making it impossible to discern any shape, curve, contours or any of the sort, as if there were a simple abyss in the space it took up. Everything around it seemed to warp and bend, distorting light on an incomprehensible level, like an optical illusion that had manifested in the material plane.

"What the what is _that_?" Gumball whispered.

They saw the abyss and its surroundings distort once more. Static appeared, twisting, contorting and disfiguring everything, like the two boys were watching an old TV channel. They momentarily saw something in the blackness that hovered above them, a flash of colors and figures.

"I'm gonna guess that has something to do with how everything is shifting around us." Darwin replied. "Um… probably."

Gumball looked around and saw a convenient platform connected to the wall, a simple elevator that could take them up to the strange hole.

He walked over to it. "Hey, let's try this thing."

They both stepped on the platform, and Gumball pushed one of the two buttons on a control panel.

"Hmm, that's weird," he said. "It won't move."

"Maybe the blaring sirens and warning lights should have given us a clue?" Darwin muttered.

"...I knew that."

"Uh huh. Sure."

Gumball turned to look at the reactor in the wall. "What do we do?"

Darwin walked over to it and studied a nearby screen. "It says 'low power, cables disconnected.'"

A crackling noise spooked the two Wattersons. They looked outside, and saw another column of light ripping through the air before fading away. Gumball buried his face in his hands as Darwin opened his mouth to speak.

"Don't. Even." Gumball said. He sighed and continued, "You want to me to lure the Kraken here and charge that reactor up with its lightning, don't you?"

"What? No! That's dangerous and irresponsible!" Darwin replied.

Gumball crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at him.

His adopted brother looked down at the ground and quietly added, "...okay, fine, I thought about it. But I was never actually gonna suggest it!"

"And what _were_ you gonna suggest?"

Darwin gestured towards the thick cables connected to the reactor. "We follow the power cables leading outside and see if we can re-attach them."

"Well that was the _obvious_ solution," Gumball said.

"Then why didn't you think of it first?"

"Shut."

Gumball walked a few steps outside then heard a strange noise. His ears twitched within his helmet, trying to focus on the direction of the source.

He turned his head slightly and called out, "Hey, Darwin?"

"Yeah?" the fish replied.

"Stay here for a bit. I'm gonna check something out, then we can look at those cables together."

"Did you find something?"

Gumball kept listening closely. The noise was an intermittent fuzzy garbling, but even with his augmented hearing, he could not discern what it was.

He replied, "Not sure… I'll let you know."

"I don't think it's a good idea to split up."

"It'll just take a sec!"

"A second is all it takes to-"

"Bye, Darwin!" Gumball said as he waved dismissively at him.

Darwin rolled his eyes and sighed. "Be careful!"

The traveler made his way towards the noise. It was coincidentally along the path of the power cables, so if he were to come across a problem, he'd be more than happy to kill two birds with one stone. Unless, however, the problem was monster-shaped and could summon lightning, then it would likely kill him instead.

He shook those thoughts off, reassuring himself that the Kraken was far away and seemed to be interested in hunting bigger prey. The lightning bolts in the distance confirmed his suspicions, and subtracted slightly from the dread pressing on him. But only slightly.

He approached one of the massive buildings that cut into the rock face. The howl of the cold and frigid wind accompanied the increasing volume of the strange noise. It sounded like radio static.

His heart dropped when he reached the massive doorway of the building. The light on his helmet revealed a red smear the ground, where the source of the noise lay—a discarded handheld radio, transmitting static. Gumball's pace slowed as he approached the object, fear rampant in his mind.

The amount of dried blood at his feet was a sight he thought he'd never encounter in his lifetime, and seeing it in front of him was a completely foreign and terrifying first experience. His shaky paw reached towards the radio, and he almost dropped it when a muddled voice came through.

"—still there? We … dome is down! You _have_ to get the power … it, we're all done f—"

A garbled roar cut off the person on the other end. Ear-piercing static was heard for a moment, along with terrified screams, then the radio went silent. Thunder echoed in the distance.

Gumball pressed the transmit button with his thumb. "Hello?"

No response.

"Hello?" Gumball asked again, his voice high-pitched and shaky. Once again, he heard only silence.

He dropped the radio. Panic was creeping into his system and he simply wanted to _run_ , but he focused on the task at hand.

He looked towards the cables and noticed that most of them were severed, but thankfully, one cable was left intact, and was simply unplugged. He stepped over the broken electronics, making sure to avoid getting shocked, then reached down and hefted the thick cable with a grunt, and inserted it into the massive socket in front of him. A humming sound echoed throughout the large structure, slowly increasing in pitch as power was redirected through the cable.

The lights within the building turned on, greeting Gumball with a haunting sight. The interior was completely wrecked, pocketed with scorched craters, broken fixtures, holes in the ceiling, smoking machinery and fried circuitry. Large grooves were in the walls and floor, while weapons and pools of red liquid were scattered about, but there were no bodies in sight.

Gumball turned on his heel and ran frantically back towards the tower, his breathing out of control.

The loud crunching of metal froze him stiff. It sounded like something massive was stepping around on a building. He looked up and felt the blood drain from his face as the Kraken appeared over the horizon, on top of a structure in the distance. The creature was miles away, but it looked down on Gumball with its four piercing white eyes. Its head was shaped like a big octopus, and large spikes that looked like ribs ran along its spine before ending in a long, sharp tail. Two large, tentacle-like wings sprouted from its shoulders, glowing with energy. It spread them wide and roared, revealing rows of bloody teeth inside the tentacles surrounding its mouth while electricity lit up its body like a terrifying beacon in the night.

Gumball turned tail and bolted as fast as he could. He heard a vibrating sound fill the air, and looked over his shoulder. He instantly regretted that decision as he saw the Kraken _flying_ towards him. Its tentacles were spread out wide horizontally, emitting an electrical field that somehow allowed it to be buoyant. He saw with horrifying clarity how big and sharp the creature's claws were as it hovered after him.

The cat continued to flee, hoping that he and Darwin could escape well before it reached them.

He was horribly wrong.

* * *

 _I'm not clear_

 _How it is_

 _That I ended up here_

 _..._

 _ **Then let me help you clear your clouded memory**_

 _ **There's nobody in the world that could know you better than me**_

* * *

Rob opened his eye.

He sat up immediately and noticed he was in Elmore park. He also noticed that he had managed to camouflage himself unconsciously, one of the abilities he had gained since Outland had taken him in.

This thought struck him. He couldn't remember much of what had happened yesterday. He was helping Gumball's friends by using their pendants in his basement where a strange slab was stored, but after that he could not remember a thing. He realized as well, that he could not recall much before his first day at Outland. He knew that they had 'upgraded' his body, reverting the distortion that the Void had done and augmenting him in the process, but otherwise the organization was almost as much a mystery to him as his recent companions.

He stood up and made his way to the secret entrance of his 'house,' a door hidden in a tree trunk. He entered the tunnel and navigated the labyrinth within with ease, and eventually ended up in his new room.

It was a modest bedroom, one which he was able to fully customize thanks to Outland's technological advances. His most recent experiment with its features involved him turning the room into a wooden cabin, or at least giving it the appearance of one. It fit with the location, and when he looked outside the one-way window, he could pretend he was simply in a treehouse within the park, enjoying it like everyone else.

The comfort it brought him was as temporary as it was illusory, but self-deception and wishful thinking was better than moping about. He was technically no longer a nobody but he was basically still a stranger to everyone, just "the guy on the news", so it felt functionally the same.

He wanted to go out, change the world and make a name for himself, but he couldn't do that, either. In due time, he was told, they would reveal themselves fully. Outland had been slowly establishing its presence in the city, but the leader, going simply by 'the captain,' made sure to take his time. He wanted it slow and methodical, like a flawless surgery, and Rob was in no position to say otherwise. Until then, he would just be another student at Elmore Junior High. An intelligent, physically augmented student, but a student nonetheless.

The captain. Rob needed to have a word with him. But before that, he had to check his station and see if there were any new orders issued to him. Thankfully, there were none, meaning he could do as he pleased, although he did see a message in his inbox.

"Huh?" he asked himself as he read the sender entry. "Why would I send something to myself?"

He opened the message, but it seemed to contain nothing, except a single attachment.

 **ThePhantom.k_os**

His eye opened wide in both confusion and surprise. He had no idea where he got this, assuming it was actually him who sent it. Regardless, it was what he was looking for, and it might have information that would prove useful in tracking down Gumball, or at least some of k_OS's secrets.

Upon opening the attachment, he felt a surge of electricity that shocked him and made him jump. "Ow!"

He stared at his computer and growled. "Top of the line technology, and yet the hardware isn't static proof! Future of mankind my—"

 _Heheh…_

Rob froze, feeling a chill run down his spine. He checked his peripheral vision without moving his head, before slowly turning around.

Nothing.

He gulped and slowly stood up, scanning his room. He stood deathly still for a full minute and yet his fear did not subside one bit. Another minute of silence passed before he decided to leave, paranoia rampant in his head.

* * *

 _To think it's only in their minds  
_ _will make them weaker_

 _To think they know their enemy  
_ _will make you stronger_

 _ **We will vindicate**_

* * *

The school bus arrived at the Watterson household and stopped to allow Anais to board. Students looked confused at the absence of not just one, but now both of the Watterson boys. The lone girl made her way to the back of the bus in a strange stupor. She kept her gaze on the floor and ignored all questions thrown her way as she slowly walked to her destination.

She sat down in between Carrie and Penny, who were worried beyond description upon seeing her state.

Anais took a deep breath, and quietly said, "Darwin won't wake up. Mom and dad tried everything, but he just won't..."

Her two seatmates remained speechless, frozen in shock and disbelief.

Anais continued, "Mom took him to the hospital after breakfast. I just hope he's going to be okay."

A loud noise and bright flash spooked everyone on the bus. Anais and Penny looked at the empty seat beside them and quickly realized where Carrie had gone.

Anais exhaled slowly, a hint of shakiness in her breath. She felt Penny's arms surround her.

"It'll be okay," the fairy said.

Anais returned the hug and remained in her arms for the rest of the ride.

* * *

 _Sick of this mind and the games it plays_

 _Mental enemy-enemy-enemies want to push me back again_

 _Here they come running, wanting me up on that tree,_

 _crucified_

* * *

A loud noise spooked Nicole Watterson and made her yelp. A flash of light came from behind her, and she turned to find Carrie Krueger.

"Is he okay?" the ghost asked.

Nicole clenched her jaw, her eyes red and puffy, with a face that bore utter exhaustion. She remained silent and simply stepped aside.

Behind her, splayed out on a hospital bed, was Darwin.

Carrie floated towards him and put a hand on his cheek. He appeared to be sleeping peacefully, but an obscene amount of equipment had been attached to him and made his physical state look a lot more dire.

"He's fine," Nicole croaked, her voice as fragile as cracked glass. She cleared her throat and added, "He just won't wake up. The doctors can't tell me why."

Carrie sighed in relief. At least he wasn't in critical condition. She could put some of her worst fears to rest.

Nicole sat in the chair next to the bed and buried her face into her hands. She took a deep breath and began to whimper. "First Gumball and now this… I-I don't know what else to do…"

She started sobbing again, and from how hoarse her voice was, the ghost could tell she had been crying all morning. Just hearing her weep already tugged at Carrie's heartstrings, but seeing her hunched over like that, her tear-stained clothes in disarray, it was an entirely different level of sadness and despair that the ghost had never seen before. It reminded her of the time she saw Gumball, Darwin and Anais get dragged into the underworld, and even the feelings she had felt back then seemed trivial compared to the suffering and loss this broken-hearted mother was now going through. It affected Carrie in a way she could not comprehend, like a weight in her chest that sucked at non-existent internal organs as it sunk down to her stomach.

Nicole sniffed and raised her head, her face a mess of wrinkles and tears. She placed a hand on Darwin's head, rubbing it gently.

"Please wake up, Darwin." she said in an almost-inaudible voice. "Please… we can't— _I_ can't deal with this. I act all strong and unbreakable, but I can't bear to be without my sons."

She covered her face again. "I can't, I can't, I can't…"

Carrie hesitated for a moment, then attempted to hug the weeping mother as best she could.

"It'll be okay, Mrs. Watterson," she said. "Darwin's a tough guy, I'm sure he'll pull through. Gumball will, too. When push comes to shove, they're just as headstrong as you, and they'll stop at nothing to come back."

Nicole's crying subsided slightly, and then faded after a few minutes.

She took a deep breath and quietly muttered, "Thank you, Carrie… Darwin's so lucky to have you."

The ghost smiled at her as tears dripped down her face. "He's lucky to have a mom like you, too."

Nicole returned the smile. She turned to Darwin once more.

"I love you, Darwin," she said, rubbing his head. "You may be adopted, but _you are my son_. Please come back to us soon."

* * *

 _ **Ghosts  
**_ _in a place of fear_

 _Dreams and memories  
_ _are decaying here_

 _ **Cold  
**_ _constantly turning sphere_

 _Where shadows gather up  
_ _and quickly disappear_

* * *

Gumball sprinted into the tower and quickly backed up beside the entrance, hiding as best he could. He noticed that the red emergency lights had been replaced with bright white lights, thanks to his efforts reconnecting the power cable.

"Gumball?" a voice called.

The cat turned his head and saw Darwin looking at him strangely.

"What's wrong?" he said.

Gumball beckoned to Darwin with quick, frantic motions.

The fish furrowed his brow, but sprinted over. "What are you—"

Gumball grabbed him and slammed him into the wall beside him as something large crashed down outside. The two boys froze in fear and did their best to suppress their panicked breathing. They heard it stomping around outside, approaching the structure.

That noise again. That bone-chilling noise that sounded like something from the dark depths of the ocean was swirling around, just out of sight.

Then they heard something new, like the creature was spitting. They kept still, listening closely.

That was when Gumball noticed the spheres.

A large transparent sphere, about as big as a beach ball, floated into the tower.

Then another.

And another.

They floated in straight lines in different directions before sticking to the walls. The Wattersons did not dare to move when they heard the Kraken take off. The vibrating noise that its electrified wings emitted persisted for about a minute before fading from ear shot.

They waited a minute longer, and with no signs of the monster, they felt safe enough to sigh in relief.

"Alright, let's go." Gumball said, walking towards the elevator.

"What about those things?" Darwin asked, pointing at the spheres.

"Ehhh, we'll _probably_ be fine as long as we don't touch 'em."

Darwin pointed at something. "Uh, Gumball..."

"Oh. You've _got_ to be kidding me."

One of the spheres had stuck on the elevator, completely blocking off access.

"What do we do now?" Darwin asked.

"Maybe we can—"

As soon as Gumball took a step forward, a shrieking sound filled the air. The spheres grew long spikes and their inner core turned red. Before the two boys could get over their surprise, one of them launched towards Gumball.

"Watch out!" Gumball yelled as he dove towards Darwin.

He tackled him to the ground as the sphere flew past them and crashed into the ground, detonating in a wave of heat and light. The shockwave sent the two Wattersons flying, kicking up dust and filling the area with smoke in the process.

Gumball hit the ground hard and rolled over twice before coming to a stop.

"Aughh…" He grunted in pain and remained there for a second before getting to his knees.

"Darwin!" he yelled. "Are you okay?"

He heard coughing within the smoke. "Yeah… I'm fine." a voice replied.

The wall of smoke exploded outwards as another sphere flew towards Gumball. He saw it just in time and rolled to the side. It crashed into a wall and blew it to smithereens, sending dust and concrete fragments flying everywhere. Fortunately, Gumball was in front of his adopted brother and shielded him from most of the shrapnel.

 _That's two,_ Gumball thought. He turned around and saw the third sphere right in his face. It stuck to his helmet and colored his vision red. He screamed as his reflexes took over his hands and grabbed the bomb's spikes. He chucked it into the air as hard as he could, and it exploded a mere three feet in front of him, sending him flying. His back painfully hit the ground as he flipped backwards, ending up on his face.

He grit his teeth and clenched his fists in pain as he waited for the aching to subside and the ringing in his ears to fade. He tried to push himself up.

And that's when he heard Darwin's terrified scream.

Before he could react, two clawed feet descended in front of him with such force that it cracked the ground and cleared the area of smoke. He looked up and saw the thirty-foot-tall Kraken towering over him, the tentacles on its shoulder blades crackling with electricity. It raised them both high in the air.

Gumball looked around and saw five white tendrils of electricity circling him, growing larger as they slowly approached his position. He smelled ozone and felt the air around him vibrating. The tendrils coalesced into one large bubble as the Kraken brought its tentacles down.

Gumball's vision turned white as got to his feet and jumped as far as he could.

A massive column of electricity shot up from the ground where he was laying moments ago. The ear-piercing clap of thunder almost deafened him as the shock wave threw him from the strike zone. He flew several feet and bounced a few times off the ground before rolling to a stop.

Before he could get his bearings, the moonlight shining on him vanished, engulfed by a massive shadow. He saw the Kraken standing on all four legs, almost right on top of him, the crackling electricity on its tentacles illuminating its face and giving it an even more fearsome appearance.

It once again raised its tentacles in the air. Instead of summoning a lightning strike, it intended to crush and electrify the cat simultaneously in one motion.

Gumball clenched up and braced himself.

The loud clang of metal hitting flesh echoed through the air. Gumball opened his eyes and saw Darwin in front of him, holding a large metal pipe that had been twisted at an angle. His adopted brother was panting hard and trembling in fear, but stood his ground against the creature.

"Stay… _away!_ From Gumball!" He yelled in between breaths.

Gumball looked up and saw the Kraken slowly turn its head to face Darwin. Its tentacles crackled brightly with electricity, more fierce than before, and raised them to crush the boys.

The cat tried to yell at Darwin, to scream at him to get away, to get safe, but his voice could not come forth. He watched helplessly as tears fell from Darwin. He saw the tentacles fly downwards at high speed, about to smash them both to bloody paste and then shock them into ashes.

And that's when Gumball felt something filling his head. Something ancient and sinister, completely alien to him, vastly different to anything he had ever felt before and in ways he could not even make clear to himself. Time seemed to grind to a halt as the foreign _thing_ continued to spread in his mind, taking root, overwhelming his system and drowning every corner of his thoughts with—

Darkness.

A vast darkness that would swallow him whole and leave no trace.

He writhed on the ground helplessly as it grew deeper. He felt himself fading, and he wanted to scream, but he felt like he was drowning. In that instant, he surrendered to the thing in his mind and the sky suddenly turned black.

Something like a large eye appeared in the atmosphere, staring down at him as he convulsed in pain. The endless abyss of a pupil in the sky was the size of a planet, emanating strange, blue waves of energy akin to an iris. The visual quickly disappeared and the sky returned to normal, but it remained in his memory like a burning scar.

The thing filling his head seemed to grow even more, and Gumball felt like his head was going to explode. The pendants in his suit grew hot while an unknown force seemed to surge from within him, emanating _from_ him.

Clouds of white particles appeared all around him, being siphoned from the air and channeling into his body. He glowed brightly as astral energy filled his being, supercharging him with power that he could not comprehend.

Darwin turned to look at him, but was simply blinded by the brilliant blaze of light that exploded outward, lighting up the landscape as if the sun had come up. The resulting explosion rocked the entire mountain, astral energy incinerating everything organic in a wide radius and leaving a massive crater in the ground.

The Kraken dug into the ground with all four of its legs, leaving deep furrows in the ground as it was pushed back several feet, before collapsing on the ground. Its white, scaly skin was scorched and smoking, but was already regenerating.

Darwin opened his eyes and found himself on the elevator inside the tower, somehow unscathed by the explosion. He looked down and saw Gumball passed out in his arms, and a stream of white particles hanging in the air, dissipating. Before he could do anything, the groaning of the Kraken petrified him in fear.

He slammed the elevator's controls in panic and prayed the monster would not get up until they had reached their destination The elevator shook for a bit, then slowly began lifting the two boys upward towards the strange rift that hovered above.

 _Oh, come on!_ Darwin mentally scolded. _Move faster you stupid pile of junk!_

Every noise the Kraken made instilled panic into Darwin's heart, but he forced himself to remain calm and quiet. The monster made sounds like a twisted demonic horn being blown underwater, but it didn't seem to be moving just yet.

The elevator had just passed the halfway mark when Darwin once again felt panic rising up in his system. A large thud came from outside. The monster was on its feet!

Darwin hugged his unconscious brother tight and backed up into the moving platform's corner, trying his best to conceal them both should the monster look inside.

Another thunderous footstep, closer this time. And another.

The Kraken stomped into the tower and roared. Electricity tore through the structure and raced up the walls, breaking light fixtures and frying circuitry. Darwin grabbed his brother and bent his knees, preparing to jump.

The monster had focused on the large reactor in the wall, and was battering it relentlessly with its wings. The elevator was barely three-fourths of the way to the rift, but Darwin only needed it to get close enough to jump. He hoped the reactor would hold against the creature's assault for just a little while longer. A loud buzzing siren began to sound as the Kraken started to tear out components from the reactor.

The tower shook as explosions ripped through its length while powerful bolts of electricity leaped across the interior. The chaos did not faze the monster even as explosions scorched its face, and it kept up its unrelenting assault.

That's when Gumball woke up, screaming out in fear.

And that's when bad became far worse.

And almost instantly got even worse after that.

* * *

 _STEPPING THROUGH TIME AND OUR MINDS ARE ALWAYS FOCUSED ON OUR PREY_

 _OUR SPIRITS GONE ON RECON, OUR FORMER LIVES HAVE FALLEN FAR AWAY_

* * *

 **Chapter 04**

 **Coming Soon**


End file.
